Meet me halfway
by CrimsonRiver808
Summary: The halfway point in their timelines is slowly dawning on them as the Doctor learns just how special the enigmatic River Song really is to him. Baby!fic.
1. Who you are to me

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey everyone. This is my first fanfic ever! I'd love to hear what you think of it so feel free to comment and constructive criticism is always welcome. This is the first chapter in what I hope will end up as a full story. Beginning characters are 11/Amy/Rory and the 11/River pairing kicks in half way through!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER ONE: Who you are to me**

The Doctor enveloped Amy in his arms and rested his head on her shoulder, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She flung her arms around his neck and they stood, rocking side to side for a few minutes. Rory stood behind them, overseeing their heartfelt goodbye. He held baby Melody in his arms, bouncing her up and down, making her giggle. Amy retreated from the Doctor's embrace, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her jacket.

"Don't cry" The Doctor said soothingly, stroking her left cheek with his thumb.

"Sorry." She replied, her emotions taking over.

He rested his hands on Amy's head, as he had done when they said goodbye at the Pandorica.

"Look around you Amy" He said, looking up. He took in the sight of the big stone house that was always too big for just Amy and her aunt Sharon, now the home of Amy, Rory and Melody Pond. The window frames had been painted blue, TARDIS blue, of course. And in the huge back garden the grass was freshly cut and the smell from Amy's vanilla scented lanterns wafted about in the air. The huge trees and shrubbery were cut back neatly, the buds of newly planted flowers could be seen poking out of the rich soil and the concrete was clean and was accessorised with new patio furniture. And to top it all off, it was a beautiful summers day, the sun shone brightly overhead and the cloudless blue sky was almost magical. "All this, is yours"

Rory walked forward, balancing Melody in his arm and resting his hand on Amy's left shoulder.

"Thank you Doctor, thank you for everything. It was brilliant" He smiled, nearly in tears himself.

"That's ok. You were brilliant, both of you" He replied. He stroked Melody on the nose, in the same playful way he did with the grown up River.

"Will we ever see you again?" Amy asked, interrupting him talking baby to Melody.

He paused. He was always asked this question. The most difficult question. He always felt he was inclined to say no, but that was never the case. Martha, Donna, Rose, Sarah, Jack, he had seen them all again. No doubt he would see the Pond's again too.

"Oh, I should think so" He smiled. "Right then, I should be off. Goodbye you two. Whoops, three. Sorry Melody" He leaned in, smiling and apologising in baby.

"Goodbye Doctor" Rory replied, jiggling Melody up and down again.

"Bye Doctor" Amy whispered through her tears.

The Doctor turned his back to them and slowly paced his way back towards the TARDIS with his head down.

"Wait!" Amy cried out tears still streaming down her face.

The Doctor stopped and pivoted back to face her. He rested on his TARDIS as Amy raced over.

"Please. Please don't go" She murmured, fiddling with his bowtie.

"I have to" He swallowed. He had a huge lump in his throat, and tears were gathering like whirlpools in his eyes. He stroked Amy's beautiful ginger hair. "It's time for you to grow up now Pond"

"No. No I don't want to" She whispered, shaking her head.

"You were so brave. When you were taken by Madame Kovarian, and when they took Melody. And every one of the six times Rory died. You were so strong. You were brilliant!"

"Doctor, I need you" She answered.

"No. No you don't. You've got Rory, and Melody and _this_ is your new start in Leadworth, don't throw it away because of me" He answered, pulling her into a hug again, stroking her head gently. "Don't worry. You'll see me again. I promise"

Rory walked over as The Doctor and Amy pulled apart, he handed Melody to her and hugged the Doctor goodbye. Despite what he had put him through, dying six times and making him feel insecure all the time, he had enjoyed the adventures and the Doctor had always done his best to keep them safe, and for that, Rory was grateful.

"Bye Mr Pond" The Doctor chuckled.

"Bye..." He paused to think of a witty come-back, but failed, and replied with "D...oc...tor"

"Look after her" The Doctor whispered in his ear as he leaned in to pat him on the back.

Rory nodded. "But if she starts making me dress up as you again, I'm calling you up and having my little rant!" he laughed.

And with that the Doctor and the Pond's waved goodbye, and the TARDIS door closed shut, tears fell from Amy's eyes again as the TARDIS break noise kicked in and in a second, he was gone.

He materialised somewhere in deep space. He was sad. He had hidden it for Amy's sake, but he was sad. He had known Amelia Pond since she was a little girl, just seven years old, and now, there in Leadworth, he had left a woman, standing with her husband and baby girl. He could hardly believe it was the same Amelia. He didn't feel like exploring or having one of his adventures, he just felt like drifting in outer space. He began to walk around his console, for the fifth time. He flicked a switch. He was all alone again. The lonely Doctor.

Suddenly, a beam of white, silvery light appeared just in front of the entrance. The Doctor stared at it in disbelief, remembering the first time he had met Donna when she had been transported to the TARDIS. But to his surprise, the light disappeared, revealing, River.

"Hello sweetie!" She cooed, smiling as she saw him.

"River?" He asked, confused as to why she was here. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?" He flapped his arms about as River walked over.

"I used the TARDIS teleport that _you_ gave me" She replied, stroking his hair.

"What?" He answered, slightly uneasy. He had kissed her before. Well, she had kissed him. But this time, she seemed more familiar with him, she acted as if he should know that they were in a relationship...which, they weren't. At least, he didn't think they were.

"Oh, um...spoilers!" She said, dropping her right hand from his hair. She realised that he wasn't that far along in their timeline. "Ooh" she cooed, realising where they were. "We're at the midpoint!"

"The midpoint?"

"Yes, sweetie. The halfway point in our timelines, well, almost"

"So what does that mean?" he said, flirting with her again as he stepped closer.

"It means, sweetie..." she replied, moving in even closer towards his body. "That it's time you knew a little more about _us_"

"Us?" He answered, but he was cut off as River grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him right up to her. Her body was pressed against his as she kissed him, her soft lips gently pressed against his. Her lips tasted of his favourite delicious gallifreyan berries, her beautiful, soft, golden hair was tickling him and her inviting scent wafted up his nose. For a second, just, a second, he lost himself in the moment, he was away from reality, and he was, he was enjoying it. But he soon snapped out of his daze and pushed her away.

"River! _What_ are you, _we_, doing?" He asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, sweetie, you're going bright red!" She laughed, walking back towards him and stroking his cheek. He pushed her back, and walked around the console, as if trying to escape her.

"River, I don't understand. You say that we're halfway, so we are meeting in the middle, so we _should_ know each other equally. But you seem to think that, I...that, _we_, are in a relationship!" He flapped his arms about again. "But I don't have any recollection of _us_. And why did you kiss me when I dropped you off at Stormcage after America?"

"I thought...maybe you knew more. I'm sorry" She sighed and took a seat on the console room sofa. "I hate this. I hate you not knowing who I am"

"But, I know who you are!" He cried, joining her on the sofa and taking her hands. "You're Amy and Rory's daughter! You're Melody Pond"

"Yes, I am. But..."

"But...I still don't know who you are, to, _me_" He said, finishing her sentence for her.

She nodded solemnly.

"River, why can't you tell me?" He asked, in his soft, deep, gentle voice. He was so beautiful. River could barely resist his charms. And she could feel the words about to roll off her tongue, but she had to stop herself. She _had_ to. He couldn't know yet. It wouldn't work if he were to find out _now_. Would it?

"Because, it wouldn't work. I want to tell you. I want you to know. But now's not the time sweetie. And I don't know what will happen if I do" she whispered.

The Doctor couldn't resist her charms, her scent and the way she called him sweetie. He didn't know who she was yet, but that didn't stop him. It was almost like he had no control. He leaned in, his lips met hers and he planted one gentle kiss on her cherry red lips. They pulled apart; just long enough for their eyes to meet. She looked at him knowingly, her mouth creeping into a smile, and before they knew it, they were wrapped in each other's arms, kissing.

_**PLEASE review, I love to read your reviews!**_


	2. The only exception

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey everyone. This is the second chapter of my Eleven/River fanfic. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Constructive criticism is always welcome as usual, so here is the second installment for you! Enjoy!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER TWO: The only exception**

River ran her hands through his thick lush hair has she kissed the Doctor's soft lips passionately. He returned her kisses, running his hands through her curly blonde hair. River's hands moved slowly down his body. Then, they slowly pulled apart. The Doctor rested his hands on her hips, and River caressed his face gently. She grinned. For once, she was living in the moment, and not worrying about the future, or the past. For the first time, they were at the same point in their distorted timelines. They couldn't fight it anymore. They had natural chemistry, even if they weren't supposed to. And to them, It didn't matter if all the facts didn't quite add up, there were enough. Their love was enough.

"I love you Doctor Song." He whispered in her ear.

"Well that's good, because..." she leaned in. "I love you too"

He leaned in to kiss her again, but she pulled away.

"Exactly how much _do_ you know about who I am?" she asked, walking around the console.

"Well, I told you. I don't know who you are to me yet, but we're almost at the same point now, remember? So does it matter?" He smiled, chasing after her. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her neck. She leaned back, her head hung over his shoulder as she looked up to see his handsome face.

"Yes it matters. But, I mean, what adventures have we done? What do you know about me? We're only at the halfway point sweetie, there's a long way to go yet."

"Oh, well, let's see." She relaxed as he began to tell her. His arms wrapped around her stomach, as they swayed together. "Well, we've done the Byzantium, and the Pandorica, and America and I know that you're Amy and Rory's daughter, so we've done the battle of demons run. And I know that you're someone special. But, I'm not quite sure who yet. And now, I've worked out my feelings. And, I know that I love you."

"But, how can you know that? How can you know that you love me? You know nothing about me! I kissed you at Stormcage and you had no idea why I did that! And I kissed you here, today, and you don't even seem bothered about the reasoning behind it anymore!" She moaned, flapping her hands about and then resting them on her head.

"Well, no. I don't know anything about us, because _you_ won't tell me. This is confusing me so much River. And I'm getting the impression that we shouldn't have kissed. And that you shouldn't have kissed me at Stormcage. Am I right?" He asked.

"Yes. It's not the right time and we shouldn't be kissing. But, the thing is, I don't know what difference it will make to future events, event's I've already lived. And that's what scares me"

"Time can be rewritten. It can be anything we want" He said softly, pulling her close again.

"Not all of it. You know that"

"Do we have a relationship River? In the future? Because if we don't, then all this, is very weird" He laughed.

"Yes. We do. I can tell you that much"

He looked confused, and then he smiled. "Wow, a real answer. I was expecting 'spoilers'" he mimicked her.

She slapped him playfully on the wrist.

"We're getting close to the halfway point; I'd say it was about a day or so away" she said gravely. "And then, you will know who I am. It'll be ok sweetie. I promise. But, promise me you can wait till then?" She begged, slinging her arms round his neck.

"Yes. Ok. I promise. But, I still don't understand how I'm suddenly going to find out _everythin_g about you in a day or two!" He laughed. "It's so exciting!"

"Oh." She replied solemnly, pulling away from his embrace, and turning her back and walking away. She slowly slipped something off one of the fingers on her left hand, making sure the doctor didn't see. She slipped it into her pocket.

"What's wrong? You seem disappointed." He asked, walking over to her and taking her hand.

"Nothing, I just...You really don't know _anything_?" She said disheartendly.

"Well, no more than I've already said. I know nothing about _us_, no. But, you could just tell me. You could just fill in the blanks right now! Forget the halfway point!" He grinned, digging for spoilers.

"No. I can't I'm sorry." She felt like falling to her knees and weeping.

The Doctor leaned in again. "River, I love you. Please. Tell me. What is it that I don't know?" He begged, putting one hand on each of her cheeks.

"I can't tell you sweetie. I want to, believe me, I do. But I _have _to let you find out on your own. I have to let the events run naturally, for once, I have to wait for you ask me t..." She trailed off, realising she'd said too much.

"Ask you what?"

There was silence.

"Ask. You. What?" He said firmly.

"Nothing" She responded, moving his hands away.

"No. I'm sick of this River! I'm sick of all the secrets! By the time I finally find out who you are, it'll be too late!" He yelled, as he chased after her as she walked away from him to the other side of the control room.

He grabbed her arm. And pulled her close to him. But, as he did, the sliver wedding band that River had stuck in her pocket fell out and rolled across the floor of the control room.

The Doctor looked at River and stared her right in the face. She closed her eyes in disbelief. This was it. He was going to find out. He looked to the ring that was still rolling along the ground. Then, suddenly, he moved towards it, River didn't even attempt to stop him. He bent over to pick it up. He slowly got up, examining it, his face fell blank as he realised what it was, and then turned to face River, clasping the ring tightly in his hand.

"What's this?" He asked slowly, moving towards her.

"A ring" She replied, trying to keep her cool.

He glared at her, waving the ring in her face.

"What? Can't a girl wear some jewellery?" She replied innocently, poorly attempting to hide the truth for as long as possible.

"Tell me the truth." He demanded.

"I am!" She cried. "It's just a ring!"

"Really?" He said in disbelief. "So why, does it have the Gallifreyan sign of marriage engraved on it?"

River fell silent.

"Are you married River?" He asked, just as he had done at Amy and Rory's wedding.

"Yes." She replied in a croaky voice. She swallowed hard. She had a feeling she knew what was coming.

"To who?" He asked, stepping closer.

"Spoilers." She replied shakily.

"NO! No more _spoilers_ River! I've had enough of this!" He bellowed. "Just tell me!" He said through gritted teeth, pulling her even closer.

She took a deep breath.

"Tell me River. Tell me _now_." He demanded.

"Ok." She moved out his grip, and took the ring from him. She slid it on her ring finger on her left hand. "Ok. But, don't you have any idea?"

"I want to hear it from you." He said quietly.

"Please don't make me." She replied, tears were gathering in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. But I need to know." He composed himself. "I'm gonna ask you once more, and I want a straight, and truthful, answer. River...who, are you married to?"

There was a long pause. Tears began to fall daintily down River's cheeks. She took a deep breath in and let it out again.

"You" She said, her voice shaking just as much as her hands. "I'm...I'm your wife."

The Doctor stared at her in disbelief. He turned his back on her and put his hands over his face. He knew all too well that he wasn't supposed to know this yet. River had her reasons for keeping her spoilers from him. But he knew he loved her. And he couldn't wait for the time to come naturally. By then it would be too late. She would go to the library and sacrifice herself for him. And he may never get the chance to be with her properly. And he didn't believe that he had the strength to face that. He knew the dangers of him now knowing this life changing secret. But then, he thought; _Time can be rewritten_.

He turned back to face River. He looked deep into her eyes, just for a second. And then paced quickly towards her, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her passionately. They parted for a moment, just long enough to say _'I love you'._ Then, once again, he took her in his arms, his fingers entwined with hers, kissing her romantically.

The Doctor didn't do marriage...but for him, River was the only exception.

_**PLEASE review, I love to read your reviews!**_


	3. Just a little human

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey everyone. This is the third chapter of my Eleven/River fanfic. Constructive criticism is always welcome as usual, so here is the third installment for you!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER THREE: Just a little human**

The Doctor stretched his arms out towards the ceiling of his bedroom. He lay in his huge, peculiar shaped double bed. He gazed up to the top of the room, up to the big arch that gave the room its futuristic design. He often found himself lost in thought when he looked up and saw the huge white ceiling splashed with deep blue and stars to represent the night sky and his name written in Gallifreyan was hand carved in the centre beautifully. The bedroom really was enormous, and much like the TARDIS, it was bigger on the inside, as were all the other TARDIS rooms. The crisp white sheets shuffled as he wriggled around. He yawned, and then smiled as the realisation kicked in once more. And he happened to stir something lying peacefully next to him. That something...was River Song.

After the last night's dramatic revelations, The Doctor and River had ended up spending the night together, the first night, for both of them. It didn't quite fit with their timelines, but they were rewriting a major part, so it more or less fitted. Well, that's what River had assured him. She had claimed that, because they were more or less midpoint in their journeys, it was ok to change certain things, and it wouldn't affect anything too drastically. Although River had promised him that she wasn't expecting him to propose to her, just because he'd discovered that one day they would be married, The Doctor, as usual, hadn't listened to her, and had chosen to take matters into his own hands.

Yes, he _had_ proposed to River.

River rolled over to face her fiancée, the sheets covering her bare body.

"Morning sweetie" She smiled.

"Morning honey" He leaned over and kissed her tenderly.

She rested her hand on his cheek, and he placed his hand carefully on top of hers.

"I love waking up to your handsome face" She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Mmmm" He replied in agreement, putting his arm around her and winding parts of her blonde cork-screw hair around his index finger.

He stroked her hair gently. This was all a bit domestic for him. Just a little human. But he was adjusting, slowly. For the first time, the first _real _time, he was in love with someone. But not just anyone, she wasn't just human, she was part timelord too. She was his own kind. And he enjoyed that. But this time, he really was in love, the Doctor, who didn't do love, had broken his rule number one. But River was special. Yes, she was a companion, but she was different to those who had come and gone before her. And, yes, he had kissed other companions before. But he had never bedded them. Not _one_.

"What's the time?" He asked, snapping back to reality.

"When have _you_ _ever_ asked anyone that?" River giggled, lifting her head from his shoulder.

"Good point" He replied, smiling too. "But, we _should_ probably get up now"

"Oooh, just five more minutes sweetie!" She groaned.

Eventually, they rose from the comfortable warm spots they had formed in their bed. River dressed in her long, flowing blue-black dress that she wore at the crash of the Byzantium, and the Doctor in his iconic pin-stripe shirt, styled with one of his 'cool' bowties, and his trousers held up with the red braces that he seemed to love so much.

"Beautiful!" said the Doctor, beaming as River entered the control room.

He slowly looked her up and down, admiring her. The dress highlighted her fabulous shape and her gorgeous slim, toned figure and emphasised her beautiful lean body. Her blue-green eyes glistened under the TARDIS lights, her luscious lips coloured ruby red and her shimmering golden locks fell neatly at her shoulders, with wispy strays of curly hair falling onto her face.

"Why thank you sweetie" She replied, enveloping him into a hug. He kissed her on the top of her head. "How about we pay a visit to my mum and dad and tell them our good news?"

"Ok. I just dropped them off back home actually" He laughed. "I promised Amy I'd see her again soon anyway!"

The Doctor began to leap around, pressing buttons, flicking switches and pulling leavers. And, as she usually did, River followed him around, correcting all his little mistakes and smiling sweetly if he became the slightest bit suspicious. Then, with the little landing noise that was really the sound of the breaks, they arrived.

"Here we are!" River cooed. "Earth, Leadworth, The Pond residence, 2011"

The Doctor stepped out and was suddenly greeted by Amy running out of the house and pulling him into a hug. She squeezed him tightly.

"Where the hell have you been?" She screeched, patting him on the shoulder.

"Wha...what are you talking about?" He said, confused. "I only left yesterday!"

"Yeah, in _your _time maybe, but it's been six months here!" She replied, still screeching.

"Ooh...oh. Sorry. How can that be?" He answered slowly, mainly talking to himself.

"I _don't_ know. Oh, hang on, remember the time you left me waiting for fourteen years!" She said sarcastically. Then she smiled. "I'm glad you're back though. I missed you"

River poked her head round the TARDIS door. Amy let out a little scream of excitement when she saw River. River stepped out wearing a huge grin.

"Hi mum!" She said, her arms open wide waiting for a hug.

"River!" She cried, running towards her and practically leaping on top of her.

"It's good to see you! It's been so long" She smiled.

"Oh, look at you, _still_ older than me" She laughed, stroking her daughter's hair. "Oh, don't just stand there! Come inside!"

They walked towards the big house, pretty much exactly the same as it was six months ago, though it had only been a day for the Doctor. Amy was babbling on about how she hadn't seen River since the battle of demons run, and how Melody was toddling around and playing with everything she could find. River was smiling and laughing, The Doctor could see how happy being around her family made her. Amy led them through the big corridors towards the kitchen. It was modern, with an old twist to compliment the old fashioned features the house held. River and the Doctor took their seats on the stools behind the counter. The back marble countertop was smooth and spotless, and River had to stop the Doctor from gliding his hands all over it like a little child. Amy handed them a glass of red wine each.

"Please don't drink it if you're just going to spit it out all over my nice clean kitchen floor Doctor, remember what happened at our picnic in America!" she laughed, handing him the glass. "So, what brings you this way?" she asked, taking a seat on the other side of the counter, opposite her daughter and her best friend.

"Oh, we just wanted to see you and dad" River smiled. "And, we wanted to chat to you, and err...tell you things"

"Oh right. Like what?" She asked, leaning forward and looking very intrigued.

"Well, we actually had something really important to tell you" River replied, avoiding eye contact with her mother and sipping her wine slowly. "But um, we wanted dad to hear it too"

"Oh, ok. Hang on. He's in the garden" She paused, took a deep breath and then yelled out "ROOORRRY!"

Her Scottish accent boomed through the house and caused birds to flock from the garden. Rory came rushing in, his dirty gardener's gloves on, holding a trowel as a weapon in his left hand.

"What what?" He said quickly, looking at Amy and then around the kitchen for any signs of danger that may have caused her to call out like that. "Oh. River, Doctor! Hello!" He looked to them, and then down at his soil covered clothes. "Ah"

"Why don't you go and get cleaned up" Amy smiled, attempting to contain her giggles.

"River! Just look at him! Those centurion instincts still exist in him, and as soon as he finds out I'm marrying his daughter it'll be death by trowel!" The Doctor whispered to River.

"Oh sweetie!" she laughed under her breath. "He wouldn't hurt you"

"Ok, I'll take your word for it, but if something happens I'm holding you responsible!"

"Noted" She smiled.

Rory left the kitchen slowly, looking slightly embarrassed. The sun was shining brightly through the big kitchen windows now, the golden light bouncing off River's silky hair. The Doctor couldn't help but gaze at her in awe. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately, but he couldn't. Not in front of Amy. They didn't even know that he and River were a couple yet, let alone an _engaged_ couple! Suddenly Rory returned, wearing a clean checked shirt and jeans. He took a glass and the newly opened bottle of red and poured himself a drink, and then he took a seat next to Amy.

"River says she has something really important to tell us sweetheart" Amy said to Rory.

"Oh right. Well, go ahead then" He prompted them to speak, sipping his wine diligently.

River looked at the Doctor, she was more nervous than she had imagined she would be. The Doctor noticed this, and under the counter, out of Amy and Rory's sight, he took her hand and held it tight. Then, suddenly, without warning River, he pulled his arm up on top of the counter, her hand still clasped tight in his. Amy and Rory gasped. Amy looked happy, although she still had a look of shock and confusion spread across her face. Whereas Rory just looked blank, shocked and confused.

"Wait, there's more" River cried, the nervousness could be heard in her voice. She paused to compose herself.

"Go on" The Doctor said in a soothing and gentle tone.

A smile suddenly spread across her face.

"Mum, dad" she began, looking at each of them in turn. "We're engaged"

_**PLEASE review, I love to read your reviews!**_


	4. You stole both my hearts

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey everyone. Here is the fourth chapter in the Eleven/River fanfic. It's shorteer than the others, and admittedly, it's not the best chapter, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Please review and constructive criticism is always welcome as usual! _**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER FOUR: You stole both my hearts**

"Mum, dad" she began, looking at each of them in turn. "We're engaged"

There was silence for a moment, just long enough for Amy and Rory to absorb the information. River and the Doctor waited anxiously for their response, their hands laced together tightly, supporting one another. Rory opened his mouth, as if to speak, but he closed it abruptly again and said nothing. Suddenly, the room was filled with a high pitched shriek that probably could only be heard by dogs. Amy jumped up from her seat, knocking it backwards, screaming, flapping her arms about and practically jumping up and down. She ran round the counter to the Doctor and River, pulling them up from their seats and squeezing them tightly, almost crushing them.

She screeched, hugging them so tightly, nearly suffocating them. "You're getting married? You're getting married! Oh my god you're getting married!" She kept repeating the phrase over and over, drumming it into her head, trying to get round the shock that was still overwhelming her.

River smiled, her happiness growing on her face, but she stopped, and seeing that the Doctor was looking very uneasy, she pushed her mother away gently.

"Thanks mum, I'm glad you're happy for us" She replied, beaming, but glancing at her father, who had still said nothing "Dad? You ok?"

"Yes, sorry, was just taking it all in, it's come as a bit of a surprise!" He smiled, getting up and hugging them too. "Congratulations darling. I'm very happy for you both"

"Thanks dad"

"I knew it! Didn't I? I was right!" Amy yelled, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Knew what?" The Doctor asked, no idea what she was talking about.

"Remember, at the Byzantium, I asked you if she was your wife, I asked you both! Neither of you would answer me properly, but I was right!" She laughed.

"Yes, I suppose you were!" She laughed and smiled too.

After a while, they all took their seats round the counter again, Rory was having a man-chat with the Doctor telling him to look after his daughter and giving him the whole "If anything happens to my daughter, I'm holding you responsible and I will track you down and make you pay" speech, causing the Doctor to nearly burst out laughing. Rory, skinny, lanky, Rory, was threatening to make him pay. Then, the doctor remembered, he was the last centurion, who had spent 2000 years waiting for Amy Pond, died six times and always bounced back, the father of the beautiful, enigmatic River Song, the part-human-part-timelord child, he should not be mocking his words. Or be getting on the wrong side of him anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Amy was asking River endless questions about the wedding. All about the dress, the cake, the venue, the date, the guest list, the flowers, the music and god knows what else. Amy was insisting that their wedding should be spectacular and could even take place on a beautiful far away planet, like the honeymoon planet the Doctor took her and Rory to, or a leisure planet like Midnight. She had even dug out some bridal magazines from what seemed like nowhere.

They discussed the wedding for what seemed like hours. The Doctor and Rory were overcome with boredom. And even River was growing tired of her mother's endless energy.

Amy was shrieking and giving them all bear hugs and she even cried a few tears of happiness.

"We only got engaged yesterday mum. We haven't even thought about all the small details of our wedding!" River had kept on telling her overexcited mother.

But Amy had always replied with "Yes yes, I know that! But it's never too early to start planning a wedding!"

They continued to plan the wedding, with Rory escaping every once in a while to go and check on Melody, and Amy kept trying to involve the Doctor in all the 'important' decision making. But the time eventually came where the Doctor and his bride-to-be had to leave Leadworth behind. Amy and Rory waved goodbye again as the orange sun started to set in the sky, and in a second River and the Doctor vanished from the Pond's back garden in the TARDIS.

"Well, Mum got very carried away with all that didn't she!" River laughed, walking round the console and flicking various switches, and making sure to press the blue stabilizers.

"Yes she did" He groaned, pulling up three of the wibbly-wobbly leavers. "But it'll be ok. We don't need all those things to give us the perfect wedding day. I mean, we're not exactly normal. So why does our wedding have to be?"

"Quite right sweetie, our wedding will be _our_ day, just ignore my mother" She laughed.

There was silence for a couple of minutes as each of them paused to consider various wedding venues and all the little details.

"Sweetie, when _is _the wedding going to be?" River asked, perching on the sofa of the control room, remembering what Amy had asked them countless times.

"Whenever you like" He smiled, walking over and stroking her golden mane of hair.

"How about next week?" She asked, not bothering to beat about the bush.

The Doctor looked a little startled that she wanted to get married so soon, but he smiled and pulled her up from the seat. He pulled her close to his body, her hands on his shoulders, his hands on her waist. They began to sway and dance around in a waltz like way.

"Well then" He said, kissing her irresistible soft lips. "You'd better go dress shopping!"

River smiled, happy and content that he wanted to get married just as much as she did. He took her in his arms, wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her forwards to him, she hung her head back and let out a loud wave of laughter. She lifted her head long enough for them to share a quick kiss. Then they resumed their waltz positions and they danced around for several minutes. The Doctor, who didn't usually like to dance, was twirling his fiancé around and holding her close held her as they swayed in time together, but deep down both of them knew, that this midpoint would soon pass and they'd once again begin travelling in opposite directions. River would be growing closer and closer to the end where she would go to the library and make the ultimate sacrifice, and the Doctor, now knowing that he wouldn't just be saying goodbye to a faithful companion and friend, but his wife, the woman he loves, would have to prepare himself for the final trip to Darillium to see the singing towers and knowing that he would have say goodbye to River Song for the final time.

_**PLEASE review, I love to read your reviews!**_


	5. The Timelord's wife

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey everyone. This is the fifth chapter of my Eleven/River fanfic. I hope you enjoyed the first four chapters. I was meaning to publish this sooner, but I got sidetracked! The next chapter should be up soon, maybe tomorrow or in a few days. So this is the wedding of the Doctor and River and just as a warning, I should mention that at the very end there is some River/11 fluff and a little bit of strong T rated fiction **_(Although it's probably an awful attempt at some fluff/smut, but oh well!)_** _****_Constructive criticism is always welcome as usual, so here is the fifth installment for you! Enjoy!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER FIVE: The Timelord's wife**

"There" Amy smiled as she finished lacing up the back of her daughter's wedding dress.

"Thanks mum" River smiled, admiring herself in the mirror. She pivoted round to face her mother.

Tears were beginning to swirl around in Amy's eyes. She dabbed them diligently with a crumpled tissue, trying not to smudge her mascara. She caught her breath as she absorbed the sight of her baby girl, all grown up, dressed in a wedding dress, preparing to marry the Doctor.

"Don't cry mum!" River smiled, pulling her mother into an embrace.

"Sorry, I'm sorry darling" She murmured, as they parted slowly. River flashed her mother a comforting grin, trying to lift her spirits. Amy attempted to smile, but she felt as if she had no control as the emotions took over.

River stepped back towards the full length mirror. She twisted the dress a little, adjusting it and making it more comfortable. It was simple, but highlighted her figure beautifully. The full-length crisp white sheath, made with the finest cotton, was light and thin and the floor-length hem floated gracefully as the gentle breeze wafted through the open window of the hotel room, revealing the white platform heels that enhanced her elegant, lean figure. The dress was completed with a detailed lace bodice and a small, silk, criss-cross band, decorated with a knotted bow, hanging loose off the side. The front part of River's golden mane of corkscrew hair was clipped back and the rest of her luscious locks fell neatly and naturally at her shoulders. She didn't wear a veil, but her hair was accessorised with small silver tiara, the same one Amy had worn on her wedding day.

"You look so beautiful, River" Amy beamed, her hands resting on River's bare shoulders as she stood behind her.

River reached her right hand up to her shoulder and rested it on top of her mother's, her perfectly manicured nails and sun-kissed skin completed her bridal look.

"Are we ready now?" River asked, her voice shaking with nerves.

"Yes, I think so. You wait here, I'll just go and check to see if the Doctor's ready outside"

Amy departed the hotel room, the door creaking shut behind her, leaving River alone. She wandered through the corridors, that seemed almost deserted, at a fast pace. And in less than no time, she arrived outside in the gardens where the wedding was to be held. It was a small turn out, who exactly do you invite to a time traveller's wedding anyway? But it was enough, with close, personal friends of the Doctor's and of course, parents of the bride, Amy and Rory. The golden sun shone brightly overhead and the mystical blue sky was cloudless. The only sounds to be heard were the gentle, yet shrill tweets from the birds, the quiet background noise of the classical music that was playing at a low volume from the speakers and the bustle from guests, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they sat in their seats awaiting the arrival of River Song. It was tranquil and beautiful and exactly how the Doctor and River wished to spend their special day. Amy wobbled on her heels as she walked along the cobbled path around the outside of the chairs and up to the archway, covered in hot-pink roses and entwined with greenery, where the Doctor was standing with Jack and Rory. Amy approached as the Doctor began to fiddle with his bowtie. This time he was dressed in his 'old' suit; a white shirt, a black waistcoat and jacket with black trousers and shoes, and his outfit was complete with, of course, a black bowtie. He raised his hand and waved at Martha and Mickey as he saw them arrive from the other side of the garden, they took their seats behind Gwen, Rhys and their baby daughter Anwen.

"She's ready" Amy smiled at Rory, who darted off back to River to collect her so he could walk her down the aisle.

The Doctor rubbed his hands together nervously.

"I've never seen you this anxious!" Jack laughed. "I'm just going to say hello to Martha and Mickey-mouse. Hold on, I'll be right back" He ran off, leaving Amy standing with the Doctor.

"Is this everyone then Doctor?" Amy asked, surveying the guests.

"Yes" He smiled, waving at everyone manically. "Although, there's a few people who aren't here, who I wish could be"

He looked down at the floor. Amy thought she could even see tears welling up in his eyes. He suddenly went very quiet, like he was thinking of those people.

"Like who?" She asked with her hand resting comfortingly on his arm.

"Rose Tyler, Donna Noble...Sarah-Jane Smith" He whispered.

Amy fell silent. She knew those names. She'd never met those people before, but she knew who they were, she needn't ask him to explain their absence either, she already knew.

"But look!" He cried cheerily, trying to forget the memories that where pouring through his head. "There's Craig and Sophie, and Martha and Mickey, and Gwen and Rhys and Anwen, and Wilfred, Donna's granddad, and Jack, my best man and of course, you and Roranicus! What more could I wish for?"

Suddenly, Rory appeared from behind a tree and gave Jack the thumbs up and then disappeared again. Jack darted up to the Doctor. Amy took her seat in the front row. It was time. Time to marry the enigmatic River Song. He took a deep breath and prepared himself, Jack patted him on the back encouragingly.

"This is it Doctor" Jack grinned.

Meanwhile, round the corner, out of sight, River was preparing to walk down the aisle. She straightened her tiara and fluffed up her hair. She breathed in the fresh air and exhaled her worries and nerves.

"This is it" River smiled at her father. "This is it, the exact halfway mark in our timelines. Our wedding"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Rory asked cheekily.

"Yes!" She hissed, slapping him playfully on the arm.

He laughed. "Ok, ok. I get it. No changing your mind! Right, we'd better go then"

River hooked her arm in her fathers, gripping her bouquet of roses tightly. They turned the corner and slowly began to walk down the aisle. The congregation rose to their feet, the Doctor turned to face River. Her hair glistened under the sunlight as it was blown gently off her face by the warm summer's breeze as she walked slowly and steadily towards him. He had to remind himself to breath as he took in the sight of her. Her luscious plump lips so irresistible, her shimmering eyes, so inviting, her slim figure displayed perfectly in_ that_ amazing dress. Her pearly white smile was spread across her face eagerly. He returned her smile, conventionally as she stepped towards him, kissing Rory gently on the cheek as they parted and he sat down next to Amy, who had tears streaming down her face.

"River..." He began, taking her by the hands. "You look..."

"Are you going to finish that sentence sweetie?" She smiled, gripping onto his hands tightly.

"You are breathtaking" He beamed.

The ceremony began, with the Timelord and his fiancée taking their vows in turn, each proudly treasuring the moment they both got to say 'I do'. But before they knew it, it was over and they both proudly wore their silver wedding bands, engraved with the gallifreyan sign of marriage. The Doctor took River's hand tightly and pulled her back down the aisle as they were showered with rose petals by their friends. They made their way to the reception that was to be held inside the grand ballroom. It was decorated with crimson balloons and pink rose petals. The circular tables were covered with new, clean white tablecloths with the shining silverware, place cards, flowers and bottles of champagne on every table. There was a long rectangular table for the bride and groom, Jack and the Pond's to be seated at, placed in front of a huge window that overlooked the gardens where the ceremony had just taken place, with the golden sun leaking through it, filling the room with golden light. The table was also covered by a white table cloth and was decorated in the same way as the other tables. The three tiered wedding cake, complete with a small blue TARDIS and a miniature River and the Doctor made purely out of icing, was placed carefully on the end of the long table that held all of the delicious hand-made food. There was a banner over the doorway that was painted with red letters that read 'Congratulations River & Doctor'.

"It's beautiful!" River beamed, kissing the Doctor tenderly her arms looped round his neck, his wrapped round her waist. He nodded in agreement.

"River, this is the best day of my life. I love you so much"

"Yes sweetie, this has been a wonderful day. I love you too"

The celebrations went on for hours, right through the evening. There were tears and screeching from Amy and a humiliating best man speech from Jack which had the Doctor blushing and going bright red, which caused great excitement for River and roars of laughter from the guests, and there was even _another_ 'look after my daughter' speech, that turned out to be more of a lecture, from Rory. And even the Doctor took the opportunity to make a speech about his amazing River Song. And when the music began to play, everyone got up to have a dance, even the Doctor joined in and danced manically as he had done at Amy and Rory's wedding, it was becoming a more regular thing for him now. And River and the Doctor took to the floor for their first dance as husband and wife, which, once again, had Amy in tears. They ate cake, they danced, they drank champagne and wine, there was kissing and speeches and tears and laughter. But it had to come to an end at some point, and as the party drew to a close, it was time for River to throw her bouquet.

"Ready?" She squealed, her back turned away from her guests in the traditional manner. She threw her flowers over her head. There was hustle and bustle for a moment whilst people tried to catch the bundle that was now flying gracefully through the air. Suddenly, it was caught by Sophie.

There was whooping and cheering from the other guests as Craig stared at Sophie who clasped the bouquet in her arms, looking pretty embarrassed now.

"Congratulations Sophie!" River cheered as the Doctor put his arm around her.

"Next to get married, eh?" The Doctor laughed. "Go for it Craig!" He whispered, leaning in and patting him on the back, jerking him forward towards Sophie before returning to his original position with his wife.

"Is it time to go then?" River asked, looking to the Doctor.

"Yes!" He smiled. "Come on then!"

The guests waved the Doctor and River off as they said their goodbyes and stepped into the TARDIS. The Doctor jumped inside, and ran to the console, kicking the old girl into action, he twirled and spun around, flicking switches and pulling leavers, pressing buttons and acting extremely hyper. He set the co-ordinates to their next destination and left it on auto-pilot. River watched him from the door; she couldn't help but smile at him. Her husband. He stopped and looked to her, beaming with happiness all over.

"I assume that we're going on a honeymoon sweetie?" She asked, walking over to him and flinging her arms round his neck, kissing his cheek with her soft, tender lips.

"Of course! What do you take me for River?" He said, pretending to look offended, but then he smiled, and rested his hands on her hips.

"Good good. So where are we going?" She whispered in his ear in a deep enticing voice, kissing his neck slowly.

"Spoilers" He replied, his hands wandering to the small of her back. He suddenly pushed her gently backwards and they fell onto the console room sofa.

A wave of laughter rode through her, her hands fell above her head, suspended off the end of the sofa as the Doctor, who lay on top of her, kissed her neck and her bare shoulders softly, working his way down her body hungrily. She pulled off his jacket and waistcoat and roughly pulled open his shirt, sending the buttons bouncing uncontrollably all over the control room floor.

"Hey! That was my good shirt you just ruined!" He laughed.

"Whoops, sorry" She whispered, clearly not sorry at all as she reached for the zip on his trousers.

"Oh no you don't!" He laughed, pulling her hands away. "I think it's only fair that if you can rip my shirt, I can have permission to pull that, _amazing_, dress right off you"

"Permission granted" She responded, letting him whisk the dress off her as she unzipped his trousers.

They slowly made their way to the bedroom, their lips barely parting as they did. She pulled him in by the collar of his now ruined shirt, and he followed her eagerly. The door slammed shut behind them, and they had no intention of emerging from there any time soon. At last they were together properly, the Timelord and the Timelord's wife.

_**PLEASE review, I love to read your reviews!**_


	6. Time keeps turning

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hello sweeties. This is the sixth chapter of my Eleven/River fanfic. I hope you enjoyed the first five chapters. Hopefully the next chapter should be up soon, maybe tomorrow or in a few days. This is River and The Doctor's honeymoon, and there is strong T fiction towards halfway and towards the end. (Although it's probably an awful attempt at some fluff/smut, but oh well!) _****_Constructive criticism is always welcome as usual, so here is the fifth installment for you! Enjoy!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER SIX: Time keeps turning.**

The turquoise blue water glistened under the golden sunlight as it crashed tranquilly onto the rocks, the sun was beating down on those below and the luscious green palm trees swayed calmly in the gentle breeze. The Doctor and River walked along the beach hand in hand, it wasn't a crowded beach, but it had the odd person sunbathing or surfing. The Doctor couldn't keep his eyes off River, who wore a halter-neck floral bikini that highlighted her slender figure perfectly and showed off her irresistible bronzed skin. The Doctor, who was wearing his TARDIS blue swimming shorts, leant over to kiss his wife tenderly on the top of her head.

"It really is beautiful here!" River exclaimed in delight, looking around her at the stunning tropical island resort.

"That's why I chose it as our honeymoon destination, paradise planets always are the best" the Doctor replied.

"Well, I'm glad you did, I've had a wonderful time sweetie" She smiled, resting her hands on his chest as he pulled her close to him.

"It's not over yet!" He smirked, River looked at him mystified, and then suddenly he grabbed her hand tightly and ran off towards to water, dragging her behind him, squealing with laughter.

The scorching hot, white sand scuffed up behind them as they raced towards the shimmering ocean. Splashes of tepid liquid exploded into the air as they entered it. Laughter burst out from River's throat as the pair played around in the water, and she tried to escape her husband's clutches. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her into him, spinning her round so she faced him. He ran his hands through her mane of blonde coiled hair, kissing her scarlet lips lovingly as they stood in the surf, mesmerised by each other. River jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, chuckling blissfully. He pulled her even closer to him, still eagerly kissing her.

"I love you Mrs Robinson" He whispered cheekily into her ear in his deep sexy voice.

"Oi!" She giggled, pushing him backwards and flinging her arms round his neck. "I love you too sweetie"

The spouses messed about in the water for about twenty minutes, before they emerged from the waves, dripping wet and content with the intimate time they had spent together.

"What shall we do now?" River asked seductively as she leaned up to the Doctor's ear, as they walked away from the exquisite beach, side by side, the Doctor's hand around River's waist.

"Let's go back to the villa and we can get changed into something more formal, because I have a little surprise planned for you this evening honey" He replied, taking her hand and leading her off the sand and up the small cobbled path, surrounded by lush palm trees, tropical flowers and ferns, that lead to their villa.

The villa suddenly came into their sight, it was a fairly large sized house painted in a crisp white, with huge palm trees enclosing the gravel drive off from the rest of the resort. The villa had a white minimalistic interior, with a few oriental themes and statues throughout the house. But at the same time it was ultra modern with extravagant features and even some futuristic attributes yet to be invented on Earth. The house included two different style living areas, one looking out to the rectangular outdoor swimming pool from the spacious dining area and the other an open-air area, nestled up on the balcony off the master bedroom, with a view to the beach. Downstairs, the indoor living room, the contemporary kitchen and dining area, bathrooms and a study and the outdoor barbecue area and pool, and a garage made for one car with an automatic door, which of course they didn't really need, but they had used it to store the TARDIS in. And upstairs, there were three large bedrooms, each with a separate decent sized modern bathroom and a separate walk-in wardrobe. Of course, the Doctor and River didn't need all of this, as it was only the two of them staying there, but the Doctor, being one always wanting to impress, had taken it upon himself to find the best house for his new wife and give her the most fabulous honeymoon she could ever dream of. But he knew that every day that went by, every day that he spent with the incredible River Song, their timelines were beginning to move in opposite directions again, and before long, it would be time to say the final goodbye to her.

Two hours went by, and the dusk was starting to settle on the horizon, the golden sun slowly descending into the sea, spreading red and orange beams creeping through the sky. The darkness was drawing in rapidly now. River had a long shower to wash away the smell of the ocean off her skin and to wash her already dampened locks. Meanwhile, the Doctor had snuck out, still dressed in his drenched swimming trunks. He hadn't even bothered to inform River of his little outing. He had just left her to her shower, stuck a note on the fridge, pivoted on his heels and gone out again. He was deep in thought, thinking about the arrangements for the surprise he had for River.

River stepped out of the shower, sweeping her hair to one side and wrapping a towel around her body. She closed the bathroom door behind her and wandered through the corridors. She looked around, she couldn't hear anything. No sign of the Doctor anywhere.

"Doctor? Sweetie? Hello?" She asked, curiously wandering down the stairs and making her way to the kitchen. She stopped when she saw a little note taped to the fridge. She strolled over to the fridge, and she let out a huge sigh as she whisked the note off the fridge door. It read:

_Gone out, will be back soon. Wear something nice Mrs Robinson! X_

"Oh, I hate you" She muttered to herself, crumpling the note in her hand and tossing it into the small wicker wastage bin. She smirked, quite please that he wasn't around to reply with his usual come-back of 'No you don't'. She didn't hate him, of course she didn't, she wouldn't be his wife if she did. She loved him. She loved every second with him, despite knowing that every precious moment with him was causing them to move further and further apart. And River really believed that when the day finally came when she would have to look into his eyes and hear him tell her that he hadn't the faintest idea who she was, that it really was going to kill her. She just couldn't bear to imagine her life without him. He was everything to her. He was _her_ doctor.

River paced her way back upstairs, clutching the towel to her chest, her moist skin slowly drying in the cool air. She arrived at the door to the master bedroom and diligently shut the door behind her, and she quickly strode into the walk-in-wardrobe and dropped the towel to the floor, standing completely exposed in the small room as she pondered what dress to wear.

Suddenly, the sound of the translucent-glass front door could be heard throughout the house creaking open as the Doctor returned. He closed the door quietly behind him and stopped to listen for a moment, and then the harmony of River's beautiful song-voice could be heard from the bedroom as she sang the lullaby beautifully. It almost as if the sound was spiralling down the stairs towards him, it really was raging towards him, drawing him up the stairs towards her. And being the curious man he was, he just couldn't resist having a little look. He leaped up the stairs manically, but somehow his presence was still unknown to oblivious River, who was still singing away blissfully. The Doctor pushed the door open gently and caught his breath as he saw his striking wife standing in the bedroom in nothing other than her black lacy underwear. She was stunning, with her silky sun-kissed skin, and her golden ringlets that were glowing under the light that was seeping from the windows and her exquisite eyes that were also sparkling under the light, she was breathtaking. And before he knew it, he was pushing the door wide open and walking over to her. He suddenly enveloped his arms around her waist from behind her, causing her to gasp with fear, but she smiled and laughed when she realised it was only the Doctor.

"Sweetie, you scared me!" She grinned, turning round and placing a quick peck on his cheek.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to"

"Doctor, you're still in your swimming shorts? Where did you go?" River asked, her hands on his shoulders as she looked him up and down, puzzled.

"I went to...do something, you'll find out later, don't worry" He grinned, with a little smirk because he knew something she didn't.

"Ok, if you say so" She cooed, turning round and picking the towel up off the floor.

"Have you decided what to wear yet?"

"No. But please don't tell me you're wearing that. Are you?" She laughed nervously, eyeing up his current attire.

"Haha, no, no, I'm going to have a shower and change now, but we only have about half an hour before we have to go" He smiled, darting away from her and towards the bathroom.

"GO WHERE!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Spoilers!" He chuckled, stopping at the door.

River groaned and threw the towel at him. It landed over his head and he shook it off in adorably, his fluffy brown hair flopping in front of his left eye. He over-exaggerated a sad pout which made River cackle with laughter. She could never stay mad at him for long. Then he grabbed the towel, _her_ towel, thanked her and disappeared into the bathroom. River scoffed and rolled her eyes. He was such a child sometimes.

Before long, the Doctor emerged from the bathroom dressed in his usual tweed jacket and a new pin-stripe shirt with a red bowtie along with a pair of smart black trousers and shiny black shoes. He walked out of the bathroom with his head down, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw a crimson red platform shoe in front of him. He slowly looked up to see River. She looked stunning in a floor-length scarlet red dress with a thigh high slit cut down her right leg, revealing a slither of muscular bronzed skin and her famous platform heels. The top half of the dress was tight-fitting and the material only went over one-shoulder, with a long sleeve on her right arm and shoulder, whereas her left shoulder and arm were bare. River had chosen to wear her feathery golden locks in a natural way, and had simply left them sat comfortably on her shoulders with the odd strand of hair clipped back off her face. She wore a simple amount of make-up, ruby red lipstick to compliment her dress and a small amount of black mascara and eyeliner to draw attention to her captivating eyes.

"River..." The Doctor muttered, absorbing the sight of his magnificent wife.

"Yes?" She asked, stepping out of her bold pose and moving towards him.

"You... look...you, you are..." He stammered.

"Yes?" She repeated, kissing his neck leisurely, she could feel his breathing getting shallower and his rate of his hearts beginning to speed up.

There was no reply from the Doctor, who was completely in awe of her as she pecked his neck hungrily. But she abruptly stopped and pulled away from him, resting her hands on the back of his neck.

"Is this the sort of thing you meant?" She asked in a deep, alluring voice.

"What?"

"You said to wear something nice" She said, looking puzzled.

"Oh, yes. Yes. I did say that didn't I? Oh, River, that dress, is definitely nice...it's more than nice. It's..." He couldn't think of a word to describe how perfect she was.

"It's ok sweetie, I understand" She laughed, kissing him lightly. "You like it"

"I love it" He replied, exhaling all the tension. "Come on, time for the surprise!"

He grabbed her hand and tugged her along with him. They raced down the stairs and out of the house, with River releasing a small shriek of excitement as she was pulled along. Their pace slowed down and they walked through the jungle for about five minutes before they reached the entrance to a small area enclosed by palm trees and tropical flowers. The Doctor told River to close her eyes and then he covered them with his hands. River felt the excitement running through her as she was aware of her husband's warm hands on her face. She grinned ecstatically as he walked her forwards into the enclosed area. Suddenly he pulled his hands away and she heard his deep voice cry out "Surprise!" She gasped as she opened her eyes to see a circular glass table covered with a TARDIS blue table-cloth, complete with two dining chairs, taken from the villa, positioned either side of the table, a huge, lit candle, brand new cutlery and dinner plates, a bottle of champagne and two stainless steel dome plate covers covering the food. River looked around, strung from branches and hidden in bushes were lanterns and little tea lights, giving the area a glow and a romantic feel.

"Oh Doctor!" River exclaimed in delight, clapping her hands together and walking over to the table. "It's beautiful, thank you sweetie!" she turned on her heels and pressed her lips to his.

"Allow me Mrs Doctor" He beamed, pulling her chair back for her and seating her at the table, before removing the plate covers to reveal the lobsters he had cooked earlier, before taking the seat opposite her.

"Ooh! Lobster, my favourite! How did you know?" She grinned, reaching for his hand across the table. "Sweetie, why did you do all this for me?"

"Because I love you" He lifted her hand and kissed it tenderly.

"And the other reason?" River asked, knowing he wasn't telling the complete truth.

"Because..." He began reluctantly, knowing he'd never get anything past her. "Because I don't know how long this is going to last"

"What do you mean?"

"Being together like this. It's not going to last forever. We're going to have to move on eventually. Time keeps turning River; it doesn't stop just for us"

"I know" She replied, looking concerned.

"Our timelines are going to have to move on at some point and...I know that after that, it'll be getting closer and closer to the end"

"The end of what?" She asked, squeezing his hand tight.

"Nothing, sorry" He relied as images of her sacrificing herself in the library suddenly came flooding back.

"Sweetie, you're crying"

"Am I?" He asked, sniffing and wiping away the tears. "Sorry,"

"Don't apologise, it's ok. What's wrong?" She caressed his cheek gently; it pained her to see him like this.

"Nothing, I just love you so much River, don't _ever _forget that. No matter where we go after the midpoint ends, no matter what happens, I will _always_ love you"

"I know" She replied, close to tears herself. "I love you too"

There was a moment of silence. The Doctor thought about telling her about the library and warning her not to go, but he couldn't. He couldn't change time that much. River had to go to the library, she had to save those people and she had to die. There was nothing he could do about it. And he knew that. But that didn't stop him pondering the almighty question of 'What if?' she needed to go there and, in a way, he did save her. He saved her into the computer so her consciousness could live on. But now, he had to treasure every precious moment he had with his wife. He couldn't waste a single second with her.

"Oh god, look at us, this was supposed to be a happy and fun evening, and we're sat here crying like babies" He laughed, trying to lift the mood.

"Yes, let's just eat the food, or it'll go cold" She smiled weakly as they began to tuck into their dinner.

...

"It's delicious if I do say so myself" The Doctor chuckled as he finished his meal.

"Modest" River scoffed, finishing off hers too. "So what have you got planned for now?" she asked, sipping her champagne.

"Well, I was thinking..." He began, catching her eye knowingly

He rose from his chair and reached out his hand. River took it and stood up, holding his hand tighter than ever before, never wanting to let him go. As they slowly made their way back to the villa, the Doctor wrapped his arm around River's waist and kissed her gently on her head.

"I love you" He whispered romantically in her ear.

She groaned in agreement as she leaned up to his neck and planted one tender kiss, she began to place gentle kisses on his jaw line and his ear lobes before stopping unexpectedly, picking up her pace and walking off leaving him staring at her in a gaze of wonderment. She glanced over her shoulder to see him following her like an adorable puppy-dog. He kissed her on her bare shoulder as they made their way into the house, slamming the door shut behind them. He spun her round and began to kiss her, pushing her backwards against the wall in a fit of passion. He ran his hands up and down her body, tracing the outline of her lean, toned figure before cupping her face in his hands continually kissing her, extracting pleasurable groans from River. They made their way up the steps, barely parting from each other's lips as they did. Halfway up the stairwell, River grabbed the collar of the Doctor's jacket and dragged him up the stairs towards the bedroom.

**_PLEASE review! I love reading your reviews!_**


	7. Positive

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey. This is the seventh chapter of my Eleven/River fanfic. I hope you enjoyed the first six chapters. This is the shortest chapter I think, but it's quite an important one! Hopefully the next chapter should be up soon. And as always, constructive criticism is welcome! Enjoy!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Positive.**

"Trust you" River huffed. "Trust you to get us in trouble with the Judoon!"

They were marched through the futuristic Judoon base, their equivalent to an Earth police station, escorted by two of the head Judoon. The corridor was dark and damp with various water droplets seeping in through cracks in the foundations. It reminded River very much of Stormcage as it even had the same eerie lighting too. The Judoon's black studded kilts swayed as they stomped through the lonely corridor, their hefty boots sending sound waves quaking through the ground. And with one almighty stamp, they came to a halt at a cell, shoving River and the Doctor inside. With one quick motion, the wrought iron cell door slammed shut. River shook her head solemnly as she took a seat on the small prison bed. The Doctor clasped his hands tightly on the bars of the cells, yelling at the Judoon who were ignoring him as they walked away.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" He bellowed. "Under the laws of the Shadow Proclamation you can't do this!"

"It's no good sweetie, they're not listening" River replied quietly, wincing in pain as she ran her hand over her stomach.

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at his wife, and seeing she was in pain, gave up trying to shout his way out of the cold prison cell, and wandered over to her, taking a seat next to her.

"River?" He asked gently, putting his arm around her shoulder. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing" She smiled weakly, but then a sharp pain hit her unexpectedly. "Oww!" She cried, clutching at her stomach, scrunching her face up and panting heavily.

"River seriously..." He asked worried. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, honestly, I swear I'm fine" She replied hastily, placing her hand on his cheek and caressing it with her thumb.

"If you're sure" He answered, obviously still not taking her word as the truth.

"I'm sure, just get us out of here sweetie" She said, avoiding his glare.

"I'm really sorry I got us into this" He murmured.

"Yeah, you should be" She grinned, raising her eyebrows. "Why did you steal that artefact anyway?"

"For the _last_ time, I WASN'T STEALING IT!" He whined, flapping his arms about frantically as he stood up and started to pace around the cell.

"You walked out of the museum with it stuffed in your jacket pocket!" She exclaimed.

"I _DID_ NOT!" He paused. "Ok...so I did. But it was an accident! I was gonna put it back!"

"Of course you were sweetie" She laughed patronisingly.

Suddenly the cry from the Judoon could be heard approaching the cell.

"They're coming back. Let's see if I can get them to release us" He muttered wandering up to the bars, but River wasn't listening.

River rose from her seat, clutching at her stomach again, her head was spinning and sickness was overwhelming her.

"Doctor..." She murmured, clasping her hand to her mouth, but the Doctor wasn't listening, he was busy screaming and shouting at the Judoon stood on the other side of the door. "Doctor..." She repeated anxiously. "I think I'm going...I'm going t..." She suddenly jerked forward and threw up. The Doctor spun on his heels and made a face, before moving to her side and putting his arm on her shoulder as she continued to vomit to the ground.

"CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S NOT WELL?" The Doctor yelled to the Judoon. "Please, please just let us out, let me get her back into the TARDIS, let me care for her. I'm begging you!"

River stood up, grasping her head in agony. The Judoon took a moment to comprehend what the Doctor was asking of him, before nodding in agreement and moving to unlock the door. He ushered the Doctor and River out of the cell, ordering for another Judoon, who was standing nearby, to clean up the mess. He let them, but not before he issued a warning to them, along with a small fine for their release. The Doctor thanked him as he slowly helped River into the TARDIS.

"I'll go to the sick bay sweetie, you get the old girl going, we need to get out of here" River instructed weakly, wandering towards the stairs, her hand draped across her stomach.

"Are you sure you'll be ok on your own?" He asked, flicking various switches to start up the TARDIS's engines.

"Yes yes!" She replied through gritted teeth, trying to contain her agony so he wouldn't worry.

The Doctor watched as she stumbled out of sight, he shook his head in defeat, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. Then suddenly it hit him. He flicked the switches, kicked up the leavers, making sure to press the blue stabilizers to avoid causing River anymore sickness, and then he raced out of the control room and ran down the winding corridors towards the sick bay. He burst into the room to see River leant over the sink, tears brimming up in her eyes, about to roll daintily down her cheeks, she was running her hand over her stomach repeatedly as she inhaled vast amounts of oxygen and exhaled it all shakily. She turned round to face him when she spotted is reflection in the mirror.

"Hello sweetie" She whispered feebly, forging a smile.

"River..." He began, stepping closer to his wife.

"I think all this was probably caused by something I ate yesterday, and what with the Judoon's careless driving I wouldn't be surprised if yesterday's supper was churning in my stomach" She said unconvincingly, cutting him off. The Doctor raised his eyebrow at her lies.

"River..." He moved towards her, holding onto her arms so she couldn't escape, staring her down and intimidating her. "River, are you pregnant?"

She stared back at him, no expression on her face as her blue-green eyes gazed deep into his irresistible hazel ones. Then suddenly her face lit up, tears were welling up in her eyes again, and her mouth spread into a huge smile as she slowly guided his hand to her stomach and nodded her head indicating the answer to him.

**_Please review!_**


	8. Shattered

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey. This chapter is the direct follow on from the previous chapter ("Positive") and I know some of you were excited about the prospect of a baby! This story contains angst near the end. I hope you enjoy it, even though you may not **_particularly _**like what's coming, but PLEASE have faith in me because I promise I will fix everything! :D As usual constructive criticism is welcome! Please R&R!_**

******DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER EIGHT: Shattered.**

"H...how? When?" The Doctor stammered, his hand still running over River's slightly curved belly.

"The honeymoon" She whispered.

"Oh"

"Are you, ok with this?" She asked gently as she watched him pacing round the bathroom, trying to get his head round this huge news.

"I...I don't know"

"You don't know?" She asked, shocked that he may not be able to adjust to this.

"Well, it's fairly big news River! And even though my brain is _incredibly_ clever, I haven't actually processed this yet"

"O...k" She bit her lip anxiously, watching him pace around even faster.

"So...you're pregnant?"

"Yes"

"With a baby?"

"What sort of a question is that!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Sorry, brain...processing...thinking" He cupped his face in his hands.

"Right" She looked at him. "Well, yes, I am pregnant, with your baby"

"What am I supposed to do?" He whispered, stepping towards her.

"Oh sweetie, it's ok to be scared, don't get me wrong, I'm terrified" She spoke softly to him, reaching out her hand to his cheek to pull him close to her. "But it's a baby, _our_ baby and we're gonna care for it no matter what" Tears were brimming in her eyes and he moved in to kiss her. His soft lips met hers tenderly and as they pulled apart her rested his hands around the back of her neck as she placed hers on his chest.

"I'm going to be a father" He whispered gently, gazing into her eyes lovingly.

"Yeah" She took his hand and placed it on her stomach, her hand covering his.

They walked slowly into the control room, the Doctor's hand around River's shoulders, smiles spread across their faces. He was barely able to tear his eyes away from River's belly. Although the Doctor was an intelligent life form, he just couldn't grasp the concept of him being a father. Although he'd been a father before, that was a long, long time ago and he was so young, he hadn't a clue what he really wanted. But for the Doctor, he never allowed himself to find this kind of happiness as everything he ever loved he ended up losing. He had lost his wife and children to the time war. He had lost Jenny. He had lost Rose, and Donna and Reinette and Sarah-Jane. The list was endless. He had loved and lost so many times before, that any chance of having that again always made him wary. But with River it was different. He already knew he was going to lose her. So he was able to prepare himself, no matter how much it was going to hurt him, he had to be prepared. Knowing he would just be losing her was always bad enough, but knowing she was his wife, made it even harder for him to imagine. But, now more surprises were being sprung on him. He now knew that the library was going to take not only his friend, but his wife, and the mother of his child.

The Doctor raced to the scanner, he just couldn't stop himself from running tests on the child. He clicked the buttons and the full body scan began. After a minute the results of the test flashed up on the screen. It read:

**RIVER SONG/MELODY POND**

**HUMAN + TIMELORD DNA**

**Full Body Scan**

**In Progress**

**PRGNANCY**

**POSITIVE**

**100% TIMELORD**

"River, look at this" He called her over from where she was sitting on the sofa.

"What is it?" She stared at the screen. "Oh sweetie, you just couldn't resist scanning me could you?"

"Look!" He pointed to a particular part of information.

"100% Timelord? How can that be when I have human genes too?"

"I don't know...maybe it's the dominant gene taking over? My DNA is completely timelord so it must have mixed with yours to create a fully timelord child" He laughed, amazed that his child was going to be a proper timelord.

Suddenly the TARDIS jolted and everything began to shake as they went spinning through deep space being hit by things that were sending them spinning upside down.

"What's happening?" River yelled to the Doctor, who was trying to stabilize the TARDIS.

"ASTEROIDS!" He yelled, reaching for the zigzag plotter.

River ran to the other side of the console, reaching for various leaver and switches which weren't doing any good.

"River? No! What are you doing?" He shouted.

"HELPING YOU!"

"No! Go to the back of the TARDIS. You shouldn't be exposed to danger like this, not in your condition!"

"Oh, shut up, sweetie, I'm helping you!"

River raced round to the other side of the console, but just as she did, a particularly strong shower of asteroids hit, sending the TARDIS spiralling through the sky. River was thrown off balance as her grip on one of the leavers loosened and she stumbled backwards and as the TARDIS jolted and tipped, she was hurled down the steps and slammed onto the cold, hard floor at a brutal force.

"RIVER!" The Doctor cried out as his wife lay on the floor, motionless.

He couldn't help her though. Not yet. He had to fly the TARDIS out of the asteroid shower or else there'd be no hope for either of them. Luckily the asteroids were dying down as they passed through the final part of the shower. The Doctor slammed his hand on the blue stabilizers and raced over to his wife.

"River? River? Please...wake up. _Please_!" He begged, scooping his wife off the floor and cradling her in his arms. He ran his hand through her mane of golden curls, as he retracted his hand he gasped as he saw it was covered in rich scarlet blood. The impact of her fall had left grazes on her arms and legs, and had injured her head, not too seriously though. He lifted her up and walked her back over to the sofa, where he gently laid her down, still unconscious. He rummaged for the first aid kit in the trunk underneath the floor grates and snatched about ten plasters to place on her grazes and he bandaged up her head too. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he perched next to her lifeless body, stroking her soft hair tenderly.

"Please wake up. River..._please_! I love you, you can't leave me. You have to wake up!"

Suddenly he remembered something. Something so, _so_ important. Something he should _not_ have forgotten. He jumped up and ran back to the controls, pressing buttons and pulling leavers manically, pulling the screen round to face him.

River opened her eyes, dazed she looked up at the TARDIS ceiling. Then she abruptly sat up, flinching at the pain her head was causing her. She suddenly realised she was in the console room and remembered what happened, she glanced to the Doctor who was staring, not blinking, at the screen. He was white as a sheet with tears streaming down his face.

"Doctor?" She asked weakly, hoisting herself up. "What's wrong?"

He didn't turn round; he just stared at the screen, tears still pouring down his cheeks. Then he pivoted round to face River, a look of sorrow and desperation in his eyes. She frowned, and then she saw what the screen was reading.

**RIVER SONG/MELODY POND**

**HUMAN + TIMELORD DNA**

**Full Body Scan**

**In Progress**

**PRGNANCY**

**NEGATIVE**

**NO FEOTUS DETECTED**

"The baby?" She gasped, clasping her hands to her mouth. "T...the baby's..."

He nodded solemnly, still crying desperately.

"No...no..." She whispered in disbelief, shaking her head, trying to avoid the truth. The tears that were brimming in her eyes started to fall down her cheeks. "NOOOO!" she shrieked, sliding to the floor, her hands clenched in her hair, rocking back and forth.

The Doctor approached her and put his arms around his distraught wife a she rocked with her, cradling her trembling body in his arms.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" He whispered, barely even audible over a heartbroken River's devastating cries. He kissed her on her forehead, trying to be as supportive as possible, but it was so hard as he was just as cut up about it inside as she was. But he was trying to be strong, for her. But their vision of the perfect family was shattered and now the fragments lay on the floor for them to piece it back together again.

**_I'm really sorry about this chapter for those of you who were looking forward to the baby, but I PROMISE things will get better if you keep reading the next couple of chapters! (Which I will put up very soon)_**

_**Please Review!**_


	9. It's not as it seems

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hello sweeties. I promised you I would fix everything, so I hope I have done enough! Haha :D This chapter isn't particularly long, but it's happier one compared to the previous one! _****_As usual constructive criticism is welcome! Please R&R!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER NINE: It's not as it seems.**

The Doctor rolled over in bed and stretched his arms out, he was taken aback to see River just sitting there, wide awake, just staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. But he needn't ask what she was thinking about, the tears in her eyes made it pretty clear. It had been four days since River had miscarried their baby. She was distraught. She was barely even talking to him anymore. The bubbly, happy, mischievous River Song he knew was gone. He shuffled over to her and kissed her silky smooth skin tenderly. She looked down at him, his big brown eyes didn't ease the pain, but just him being there helped. She ran her hands through his mop of lush hair. She smiled faintly. Although she knew that he was hurting just as much as she was, she felt as though she was all alone and he wasn't as devastated as she was.

"How long have you been awake?" He asked, wiping away some stray tears that were rolling off her face.

"Three hours" She whispered.

"Oh, River...this is no good for you, you need to sleep" He muttered calmly, brushing her hair away.

"Yeah, I know, I know"

There was an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry River. I really am. But, we can always try again" He whispered, stroking her hair back and kissing her forehead.

"I know, but it's not the same" She replied.

River suddenly jerked forward, clutching her mouth and leaping out of bed as she raced to the bathroom. The Doctor sat up, frowning as he listened to the sound of his wife being sick into the sink. Why was she being sick? Was she ill? Was there something wrong with her? The Doctor really had no clue. He didn't know much about pregnancies or miscarriages, but he didn't think River was supposed to be violently vomiting like that. He clambered out of bed and wandered towards the bathroom as River stood over the sink breathing deeply.

"Are you ok?" He asked, resting his hand on her back.

"I think so. I must have eaten something dodgy. Maybe it was last night's sushi"

"Maybe" He pondered, rubbing her back in a circular motion. "Would you let me run some tests? I just want to make sure you're ok, I'm worried about you"

"Ok" She agreed reluctantly, although deep down she was relieved that she would find out what was wrong with her. "I'll just get dressed first"

The Doctor quickly threw on his TARDIS blue bowtie and light blue shirt and his black trousers with the TARDIS blue braces, leaving out his jacket, and raced into the console room. He set up various tests and wired up the scanner and prepared it to run a full body scan on his wife. River arrived in the console room about ten minutes later dressed casually in tight skinny jeans and a crisp white shirt with three-quarter length sleeves. She wore no make-up except a nude pink colour lipstick. She slowly walked over to her husband and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. She didn't try to wriggle out of his grip, but she wasn't entirely comfortable. She kissed him on his soft pale lips and unravelled herself from his arms.

"Right, are you ok to run the tests now?" He asked, stroking her cheek lovingly.

"Yes sweetie. Go ahead" She smiled.

He spun the scanner round to face him and pressed some random buttons and began the full body scan.

"I don't know what you're hoping to find Doctor, but I doubt there'll be anything of interest"

"Well, we don't know until we try!" He smiled, darting round the console and seizing several coloured leavers and pulling them down all at once. "Besides, I want to find out if you're ok"

The scanner began to buzz and whirr as it processed the data it received from River's body. The screen flashed and the results showed up in Gallifreyan, which were translated into English automatically by the TARDIS translation matrix. It read:

**RIVER SONG/MELODY POND**

**HUMAN + TIMELORD DNA**

**Full Body Scan**

**In Progress**

**PREGNANCY **

**POSITIVE**

"What?" The Doctor gasped, gawping at the screen. "That's...that's not possible!" He began to run another test, but exactly the same data flashed up on the scanner. HE shook his head, refusing to believe it. If she was still pregnant, he'd be able to run a test on the baby. So he did.

"Doctor? What is it? What's wrong with me?" River asked, glued to the spot, reluctant to look at the screen.

The Doctor didn't reply. He was running another test. He _had _to find out if this was right or not. He darted around, ignoring River's frosty glare. He had at least a thousand different thoughts pouring through his head and god knows how many different emotions.

"Doctor? What is it?" River asked persistently, again receiving no reply. She stepped closer to him and the console. "Tell me. Doctor, tell me!" But she froze, having to catch her breath as she spotted what the scan was reading.

**FOETUS**

**Scan In Progress**

**100% TIMELORD DNA**

**4 WEEKS + 2 DAYS OLD**

**2 STRONG HEARTBEATS**

**HEALTHY**

**[Protected]**

"What?" River whispered, subconsciously draping her hand over her stomach.

"You're still pregnant" The Doctor replied, frowning and failing to understand what had happened, but then he smiled and moved to his wife, cupping her face in his hands. "We've still got our baby River"

"H...how?" She asked, not returning his smile. "You scanned me after the fall, there was no baby, it was negative, there was no baby detected. I saw it with my own eyes!"

"I know..." He moved back to the screen, scanning his eyes over the data.

"Why does it say _protected_?" She asked, joining him.

"I guess the impact of your fall must have triggered some sort of timelord reaction, causing the baby to protect itself from danger, making it undetectable to scans and examinations. It _is _a fully timelord child after all, so it's very possible that it's able to use timelord energy to shield itself" He explained, suddenly beaming with happiness as he thought about how clever his child was. "And that would explain your sickness this morning, simply just routine morning sickness"

"Oh..."

"What's wrong?" He asked, stroking her coiled hair kindly. "We got our baby back, that's good isn't it?"

"It's...it's good. It's brilliant. It's bloody brilliant" She whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she beamed with happiness.

The Doctor held River close as he hugged her tightly, running his hands through her hair and kissing her head lightly. As they parted, the Doctor wiped away River's tears carefully with his thumb. But they were not tears of sorrow this time, they were tears of joy. River held onto the Doctor for dear life as he kissed her tender lips passionately. They laughed blissfully as they pulled apart once more, both still slightly confused about what had happened, but neither of them cared about the scientific side of things, as they had their baby back.

**So, how was that? _Please_ Review! **


	10. Trust me

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hello! Well, aren't you lucky, two new chapters in one day! This is set months after the previous one and River is about to give birth. Don't worry, there's no gory bits for those of you who don't like that sort of stuff. I hope you enjoy it! Constructive criticism is welcome as always, please R&R! _**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER TEN: Trust me.**

"OOOOWWW!" River shrieked as a wave of contractions flooded over her.

"It's ok, it'll be over in a minute" The Doctor responded soothingly as she rested her hands on his shoulders and breathed in and out rapidly.

River had been in labour for nine and a half hours now and she was tired and was getting incredibly agitated at the slightest things. She felt defeated, like she wanted to give up. But every time she felt like collapsing, she remembered the struggle she had gone through at the beginning of her pregnancy, and how distraught she was when she thought she had suffered a miscarriage. She wasn't prepared to give up now, not at the final hurdle.

"River, it's nearly time for our baby girl to be born" He smiled, leading River back over to the bed. "We need to get you ready, I'll just go and get the..."

"W...what?" River frowned as she clambered onto the bed. "_You are_ _not_ delivering our baby!"

"What choice have you got?" He replied handing her some mineral water from the fountains of Asgard.

"No, absolutely not, Doctor! You don't know what you're doing!" She whined, snatching the water from him and flinching as she endured a mild contraction.

"Trust me, I'm a Doctor" He beamed.

"Not a real one!" She moaned, shifting about on the bed so she was upright. "_I'm_ more of a doctor than you are"

"You're an archaeologist"

"EXACTLY!" She cried, waving her arms about manically as another wave of painful contractions hit again. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"Stay calm River"

"I AM!" She bellowed, exchanging him a frosty glare. "But it hurts"

"I know, I know" He replied sympathetically, holding her tightly.

"How do _you_ know? When have you ever given birth?"

"Err, well I haven't, but it'll be ok, I know what I'm doing...I think"

"Ooh god! Why doesn't that make me feel any safer?"

"It'll be alright" He kissed her hand.

"You're not delivering this child Doctor" River stated firmly.

The contractions were getting worse and were more frequent now, and although he wasn't, _exactly_, an expert, he knew that their baby was about to be born.

"Sorry River, but it doesn't look like you've got much choice"

River groaned, partially because of the agony she was in, but also because she was worried about the safety of her child.

"Doctor...I'm scared" She whispered as tears began to stream down her face. "I'm really, really scared"  
>"I know, I know sweetheart" He murmured, kissing her forehead lightly. "But I promise everything's going to be fine, <em>nothing<em> is going to happen to you, or our daughter. I will never let anything happen. Not ever"

"Ok"

"Do you trust me?" He asked, taking her hand.

"What?"

"River, do you trust me?"

She paused for a moment, as if to think about her answer. But she didn't need to think. She never needed to think about the answer to that question. Not ever. She trusted him with her life.

"Always" She grinned, resting her hand on his cheek and caressing his soft skin with her thumb.

"Good. River I want you to take my hand, don't let go and do exactly as I say. Can you do that for me?" He requested, reaching out his hand, which she took and gripped onto tighter than ever before, then she nodded weakly.

River trusted him, with everything, she knew he would do a good job and that everything would turn out perfectly in the end, but she was terrified and she couldn't help it. The baby, _their_ baby, wasn't human. She didn't even have human plus timelord DNA. In fact, there was no trace of human DNA in their daughter's body at all! She was 100%, timelord. It was barely possible for a human mother to carry a timelord child, but somehow, the Doctor and River's timelord DNA had merged and had become dominant over the traces of human DNA. Resulting in a completely timelord child. And miraculously, they had managed to keep the impossible baby safe from harm for the whole duration of the pregnancy.

"_Push... Push_, Keep pushing, you're doing really well! _Push...Push_! Come on River! You're nearly there!" He shouted encouragingly, she squeezed his hand tight as she cried out in pain.

"I...I...I can't!" River shrieked, her face bright red and tired. She looked drained and tired, like she was about to drop.

"Yes you can! Come one, you're nearly there! Don't give up!"

And with one last burst of newfound energy, River made the last push. Suddenly cries filled the air as the Doctor cradled their new baby girl in their arms. He cleaned her up and she wriggled as he did, her little arms wafted around in the air. Tears swirled around in the Doctor's eyes as he held his infant daughter close to him, wrapped in a small white knitted blanket. River closed her eyes slowly, and when she opened them again, she saw her husband, who had spun round to face her, glowing with happiness as he approached and carefully handed the newborn to her. River's sweaty and exhausted face lit up with delight as her baby girl nestled in her chest.

"Hello" River whispered to her daughter, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. She smiled and bit her lip as she looked to the Doctor, who moved forward and perched beside them on the bed. He stroked his wife's hair and kissed her lovingly on top of her head, and then he extended his index finger and stroked the baby's cheek. She was beautiful. She was perfect and best of all she was _theirs_. Their baby, their tiny little time child, the only one in the entire universe. The most special child in existence.

"Well done River" He whispered.

"Doctor..."

"Yes?"

"She needs a name" River smiled.

"Oh right, of course, well, what name would you like?" He asked, smiling down at the bundle of joy, he felt her two tiny hearts beating tranquilly as he ran his hand over her tiny body.

"I don't know. I thought maybe Harmony, but, it's not right" She shook her head, glancing at her baby.

"Ok, so...how about, Adeline?" He suggested.

"I don't know sweetie, it's lovely, but it just doesn't sound right"

"Don't worry. We'll find a name" He replied, brushing her soft golden hair away from her face as he saw that his wife was looking very disheartened.

There was silence for a moment, with the only sound coming from the unnamed baby as she gurgled away blissfully in her mother's arms.

"How about Lily?" River asked, looking to the Doctor, her eyes glazed over with hope.

"Perfect" He beamed. "Does she need a middle name?"

"We could call her Lily Rose, after your friend?"

"Yeah, I'd love that" He smiled down at his daughter. "Hello Lily Rose Song, welcome to the world"

**...[Two Days Later]...**

"Yes mum, she's perfectly healthy, both heartbeats are strong. Yes, yes, I'm fine too, although it is strange not being pregnant anymore. Of course you and dad can see her, in fact we're on our way to see you right now, and we'll be there in about five minutes. Ok, see you then. Love you too" River hung up the console room phone and wandered back down the corridor towards the bedroom as she could hear Lily crying and the Doctor trying desperately to calm her down. "Give her to me sweetie, I think she's hungry"

"Was that Amy on the phone?"

"Yes. They're very excited to meet Lily" She laughed, taking a seat on the bed as she pulled her top and bra down so Lily could reach her breast. Lily began to feed, River smiled down at the perfection she and the Doctor had made.

"Of course they are, they're grandparents now!" He responded, pacing around the room.

"Oh I know! It's so surreal" She muttered. "I still don't believe it, _we've_ got a baby!"

"Yes we have, we're parents!" He grinned. "You are an excellent mother River"

Suddenly there was a thud as the TARDIS landed rather ungracefully in the Pond's backyard; the Doctor had forgotten to use the blue stabilizers again! The Doctor helped River up and they walked slowly to the TARIDS door. Amy shrieked and came racing out of the big stone house and across the freshly cut grass, dragging Rory behind her by the collar of his polo.

"River!" She squealed, and when she spotted the little bundle that was safely wrapped up in River's arms, she gasped rapidly and the tears, that had welled up in her eyes when she had seen the familiar blue box land on the lawn, began to roll down her pink flushed cheeks.

"Hi mum!" River grinned, her warm, inviting eyes glowing under the sunlight as she kissed her mum on the cheek.

"Doctor..." Amy began. "Oh, just look at you!" She straitened his bowtie and leaned into River, as Rory and the Doctor shared a manly handshake. "How's he taking fatherhood?"

"He's fabulous. He's so amazing, I can't have asked for more. And yes, he did cry, _a lot_!" She laughed.

"Oh, I know what you mean, Rory bawled like a baby when you were born" Amy smiled, glancing at Rory who was currently involved hugging the Doctor. Amy turned her attention to the wriggling child in River's arms. "Is this her?"

"Yes" She carefully handed Lily over to Amy, who began to tear up again as she kissed her granddaughter on the nose. "Lily Rose Song, this is your grandma" she whispered, glancing at Amy who was fighting back gallons of tears. Rory and the Doctor slowly moved over to join the gathering around Lily. Even Rory the Roman began to cry as he was handed his beautiful tiny grandchild.

"Hi Lily, its grandpa" He began. "Welcome to Leadworth"

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**[Next chapter up soon!]**


	11. Picnic at Asgard

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hello! Sorry for the long wait, but I've been majorly busy! The next chapter will be up as soon as I can, but there might be a little wait. This is, as you can tell from the title, a picnic at Asgard. I thought about it, and I thought, what if the Doctor and River went to Asgard once, and then returned as a family? So this is what this chapter is about. Constructive criticism is welcome as usual, please review, your reviews inspire me to write! So R&R & Enjoy! :D_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Picnic at Asgard.**

"Here we are! Asgard!" The Doctor smiled as the TARDIS touched down on the planet. He looked up from the controls and over to his stunning wife and perfect little 5 month old daughter. River looked radiant dressed in a plain red vest top, a woollen grey cardigan, tight fitted jeans and her famous crimson platforms. Her golden curls bounced on her shoulders as she chased Lily, who was crawling around the console room. River scooped her up in her arms and her pearly white smile grew on her face as Lily giggled excitedly. She leant over as she strapped Lily into her pram, which Amy had bought for them, and stood upright as she wandered over to the Doctor. He kissed her crimson lips romantically and then he rested his hands on her cheeks and caressed them gently with his thumb as he beamed with happiness. "You ready?"

"Yes, I've got the picnic all ready, it's in the basket" She tossed her head towards the small brown wicker basket tucked safely in the bottom of the pram.

"Got the sandwiches?"

"I've got the sandwiches. I spent all morning in the kitchen preparing them sweetie, remember? You could have helped me, seeing as you seem to care _so_ much about them" She smiled as she raised her eyebrow at him.

"I was busy" He replied hastily, River always knew how to back him into a corner during an argument and force him admit that she was right.

"Oh yeah...doing what?" She cooed, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I was...um...err..." He thought for a moment. "Ok, you win" He leaned in to kiss her, but moved away before their lips had a chance to meet. She gasped and he smiled wickedly, earning himself a quick and playful whack on the arm. "Come on, let's go"

The Doctor held the doors open so River could push the pram through it and the wooden TARDIS door swung shut behind them with a small creak. They gasped as they took in the sight of the beautiful planet of Asgard. The three moons were faint under the daylight, but their outlines were still visible as they glistened in the wispy crimson sky. White and red mixed in the atmosphere above the enormous Rocky Mountains, dusted with thin white snow on their peaks. The mountains and exotic plants enclosed a huge, glistening, turquoise lake that stretched for miles. The Doctor inhaled the fresh air around him and threw his arms open wide.

"Oh, it's just the same as it was when we came before sweetie, do you remember?" River exclaimed, clapping her hands together and casting her eyes over the stunning view.

"Of course I remember! We had a picnic just over there" He pointed to a beautiful spot right by the lake, surrounded by plants and trees. "And you pushed me in the lake and the we...ooh..." He grinned remembering the fun they had had. "That was fun"

"Come on" She managed to say through the fit of giggles that had overcome her. She pushed the pram forward as they walked towards the spot where they had decided to have their picnic.

When they reached the quiet and enclosed spot, the Doctor took the basket and the checked picnic blanket out of the pram. River unstrapped Lily and held her close to her chest as she walked towards the lake to show Lily the beautiful view. Meanwhile the Doctor shook out the blanket and laid it down on the grass before carefully placing the basket down and flicking the lid up. He walked over to the edge of the lake and gently wrapped his arm around River's waist, admiring the view from across the lake. He had tried so hard the past few days to forget. He didn't want to remember, he didn't want to have to face the truth. But he couldn't help it. He knew this was the last trip he was ever going to have with his wife and daughter. They would never have another family outing like this again, because soon it would reach the point in their timelines when they would have no choice but to move on. The Doctor was trying his hardest to forget that he would have to say goodbye to River soon, he was going to make this day the most magical day out they've ever had.

River bounced Lily up and down in her arms before kissing her lightly on the top of her head. The Doctor's hand was still laced around her waist and River soon shifted and rested her head on his shoulder, a huge smile creeping across her face as she did.

"I love you River" The Doctor whispered, his lips gently brushing against her hair as he kissed the top of her head again and nestled himself as close as possible to her.

"I love you Doctor" She replied, nuzzling her nose deeper into his shoulder.

The Doctor's hand trailed over her face, brushing away a stray strand of her coiled her, then down her neck and over her shoulder, running all the way down her arm and entwining his fingers in hers. He stood admiring the stunning view with his beautiful wife and baby. It was perfect, it couldn't get better. He relaxed to the sound of the lake and the gentle breeze causing the trees to sway back and forth tranquilly and the leaves to rustle. He was able to let go of all his worries just for a while and enjoy the time with his family before the complications of their time travelling lives took a hold again. They slowly moved back over towards the picnic area, the Doctor taking River's hand and holding it tight as he lead her. River carefully tucked Lily up in the pram before taking her seat on the blanket opposite the Doctor. The Doctor poured two glasses of red wine and handed one to River.

"River..." He began, nervously swigging his drink.

"Yes sweetie?"

"How long do we have left?" He asked, reaching for her hand and fighting back his tears.

"Of what?" She replied, taking his hand in response.

"The midpoint"

"Oh..." River looked down, trying desperately to avoid thinking about it. "I don't know, but not long sweetie, a few days, or a week at the most. Why?"

"Because I want to make the most of being with you and Lily" The Doctor whispered, stroking River's cheek gently and glancing over at Lily.

"About that..."

"What? River? What's wrong?"

"It's Lily, what do we do about her?" She asked shakily, tears welling up in her eyes. "Who cares for her? Who cares for her after we part ways?"

"You will River. She'll stay with you, you're her mum" He said, squeezing her hand.

"But that's not fair on you. You'll hardly ever get to see your daughter! How can you be ok with that?" She wailed, the thought of having to leave her husband was breaking her heart.

"It's ok, River it's fine. I promise you, I'll be ok. I'd love to be with her, of course I would, but, she needs you..." He swallowed hard. "I need you... I love you so much; I can't imagine my life without you River" Tears began to stream down his cheeks.

"I don't want to leave you" River cried. "I don't want to go. I want to stay with you forever"

The Doctor edged closer to her, running his hands through her hair and holding her close as he showered her in kisses. It was worse for him, so much worse. Because he knew that he'd only get to see her one more time after they parted ways, and that would be at Darillium before she died. She was expecting to see him again, in the same way they'd met before where they would have a one-off adventure and then go their separate ways again, but this time she was wrong, he would only see her once more.

"Next time I see you, I'll give you Lily and you can care for her until the next time we meet and we can keep swapping, that way it's fair" River explained.

"Ok, but, promise me you'll make the most of what time you have with her" He agreed, making sure to warn her that every moment she had left with Lily should be special.

The Doctor would have to care for Lily by himself, and explain to her that she would never see her mother again. But he would make sure that River was remembered by all, that her sacrifice was not in vain and did not go unnoticed. Everywhere he looked he would see echoes of the enigmatic River Song. His wife, the bravest woman he'd ever known. The only woman he'd ever loved. And their precious daughter was going to be cared for; on his life she was going to be safe. And he promised himself there and then, that he would spend the rest of his life thinking of a way to save her properly.

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**[Next chapter will be up soon]**


	12. Cry me a River, Sing me a Melody

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hello! Sorry for the long wait, once again! But this is the longest chapter in this fic and a really important one. The one where the midpoint ends. But don't worry, there will be more chapters coming after this one! But I am quite busy at the moment and it might take a while because I have a feeling the next chapter might be quite long too! Haha :D Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, I tried to make it as cheery as I could, but it is quite sad. But enjoy it! And please Review!_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Cry me a River, Sing me a Melody.**

They dropped Lily off at the Pond's that night. They loved her dearly but they wanted to be alone. To spend the night together properly. The last night.

It wasn't the end. Not really. They hadn't done Darillium yet, River still had time. But it was the last night before they parted ways and he couldn't bare it, he never thought himself capable of loving someone as much as he loved River Song. And knowing how she died was the worst part. Knowing that she died heartbroken, thinking that he didn't love her. But she still sacrificed herself for him, even though he hadn't a clue who she was, or how special she would come to be. He didn't think he could do it. He couldn't live without her. Even though he knew he had to. The evening had barely even begun and he was already in pieces.

The Doctor had a jam-packed evening for the pair of them, beginning with an evening swim in the TARDIS pool. He wanted to make the evening special and to spend every second with her; he didn't want to let another minute go to waste.

The Doctor wandered into the pool area. The beautiful turquoise water shimmered as River swam the lengths slowly. The pool was illuminated as the pool-lights under the water were turned on, but the room itself was fairly dark, lit by candles which the Doctor had spent time lighting earlier. The room was huge; much like the other TARDIS rooms, with beautiful pillars inspired by the design from Roman temples and the floor was a beautiful white marble.

River wore the same floral bikini she had worn at the beach on their honeymoon all those months ago. She slowly waded her way over to the wall, where she rested her arms on the side and her chin sat comfortably on top of them. The Doctor knelt down to her, still on the side in his swimming trunks. He leaned closer to kiss her, wiping away the little drops of water on her lips with his tongue. She bit down gently on her bottom lip as she eyed him up as he moved back to a standing position. He raised his eyebrows at her knowingly, and he moved closer to the edge, closer to her. He crouched down again, wanting to kiss her once more. He crept forward so he was inches away from her beautiful angelic face. But then the mischievous side of his wife took over once more as she slotted her arms around his waist and pushed her feet off the pool wall, flying backwards, dragging the Doctor into the pool with her. He emerged from under the water after being released from River's grip. He shook his head quickly, his straggly brown hair now soaking wet, and he reached his hand up to his face to wipe some excess water out of his eyes. River giggled uncontrollably.

"Thanks" He said sarcastically, quickly enveloping his arm around River's waist and pulling him close to her.

"You're welcome" She smiled, planting a quick, but romantic, kiss on his soft lips.

"You couldn't resist could you?" He answered, cocking his head to one side, and letting his mouth creep into a smile, no matter how much he really wanted to overplay the slightly annoyed look. He wasn't angry, he'd actually found it quite funny.

"Nope" She grinned, looping her arms around his neck and pecking his cheek, intending to stop at one kiss, but continued to peck and nip at his jaw line and neck, causing the Doctor to moan slightly.

He kissed the top of her head as she continued to caress him gently. She stopped and he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I love you River" He whispered, his lips extending to kiss her on the nose.

"I know, I've always known" She smiled, their foreheads still pushed together and her arms still locked tightly round his neck, his wrapped tightly round her waist. "I love you too, so much"

The Doctor buried his hand in River's hair as he began to kiss her passionately, pushing her backwards through the water to the other side of the pool, pinning her gently against the wall. His hands traced her curves as he slid them down her body as he kissed, his hands coming to a halt at her hips, resting them there. Her hands flapped about in the air before gripping onto his hair and she kissed back with as much ferocity as him. River wrapped her legs around his waist and he supported her by holding onto her thighs.

"Why does this have to be the last night?" He said breathlessly as their lips parted.

"Because that's the way it works sweetie" She whispered, pressing her forehead to his. "But I'll see you again, it's just the end of the halfway point, we'll still see each other, just not all the time"

"But..." He was cut off by River pressing her lips to his and beginning to kiss him with the same heat and fiery passion as before.

After a while, they parted and waded back over to the pool ladder, their hands clasped tightly together, not wanting to let go for anything. They clambered out, River first, then the Doctor. As they stood on the side, the Doctor admired River as she leant over and picked up a towel, sweeping her damp golden locks to the side and letting it partially fall into her cleavage. She rubbed most of the moisture off her skin with the towel before wrapping it round her. The Doctor reached for her hand again and he led her down the long winding TARDIS corridors, but she stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"I'm going to have a shower sweetie" She smiled, reaching up and pecking him lightly on the cheek.

"Ok" He smiled as he ran his hands up and down her arms and kissed her on her forehead. "I'll go and lay the table and start making the special dinner I planned for you" He began to walk away from her and towards the kitchen, but River grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"No, sweetie" She smiled faintly. "I appreciate you making the effort to cook for me, but I'd actually just love to curl up on the sofa in the lounge with you and watch a movie. Nothing fancy, just you and me. Does that sound ok?" She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Oh, ok. That's fine" He kissed her on the top of her head. "In that case, I'll grab the wine and the chocolate, the fluffy blanket, the candles and turn on the Telly in the lounge. And because I love you, just this once, you can choose the movie" He grinned, darting off towards the kitchen in search of all the items he needed.

River chuckled and watched him bound down the corridor and out of sight, before turning on her heels and going into the bathroom. She was happy and content with how the night was going, and so was he, but both of them were overlooking the major fact that tonight would be their last night before they parted ways. Both wanted to forget it and just enjoy each other's company, but they knew it wasn't that easy, because even if they tried to forget it, even if, by some miracle, they managed to for a while, it would always be there niggling at the back of their mind. But they would try their best.

River emerged from the bathroom, dressed and headed for the lounge. The futuristic metal door slid open and River slowly stepped inside the lounge to see the Doctor lighting more candles. The room was dim, but was illuminated by the glow of the television and the warmth and radiance from the candles. Unlike the other TARDIS rooms, it was smaller than the others, but still a decent size. There was a huge cream L-shaped leather sofa in the middle of the room with the fluffy blanket for them to curl up under folded neatly a rectangular wooden coffee table in the middle, which now had an unopened box of chocolates and a bottle of white wine and two glasses on it. There was a book shelf along the back wall of the living room and an electric fireplace, which didn't actually work properly. Various pieces of artwork were displayed on the walls and the cream carpet was soft under River's bare feet. She walked towards the sofa and flopped onto it. She wore a baggy, crinkly TARDIS blue shirt over a pair of tight-fitting white jeans. It was casual, but when the Doctor saw her, he thought she looked radiant. Her golden coiled air had been blow-dried and gently teased so it was fluffy and soft, just how the Doctor liked it. She wore a small amount of mascara and eyeliner to draw his attention to her irresistible eyes, but she had been wary of wearing too much, just in case she was reduced to tears at any time.

"Very nice" He smiled, looking her up and down, before crouching on the floor and spreading out the array of DVD's he'd dug out for her to choose from.

"Thank you sweetie" She smiled, looking him up and down. He wore a light blue shirt and a dark blue bowtie with some jeans. She'd hardly ever seen him in jeans before, but he looked good in them! "You look gorgeous, as always. But you just can't let go of the bowtie can you?"

He smiled and sat back on his knees on the floor as she relaxed into the sofa.

"Ok, which movie do you want?" He smiled, watching as she leant forward to examine them.

"Well, what have you got?" She grinned.

"Every movie you could ever imagine. Past, present and future! But I've dug out some of your favourites" He chuckled, lifting them up to show her in turn. "Titanic, Breakfast at Tiffany's – I know how much you love that one – and we've got good old Harry Potter, HouseSitter, The parent tra..." He was cut off.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's, every time!" She grinned as he nodded; a huge smile plastered on his face as he placed the disk in the DVD player and the movie began.

The Doctor joined River on the sofa, kissing her lightly on the cheek. She shuffled closer to him, he wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. Awkwardly he reached for the chocolates and the wine, trying not to move too much from his comfortable position with his wife. River giggled when she saw he was struggling so she shifted so he could lean forward to grab them. He poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her, and then one for himself. They sat back together, wrapped up in each other once more. The chocolate box balanced precariously on their laps on top of the blanket they were sharing which covered their knees. The movie began and for a while they sat in silence together, watching the film.

Halfway through he kissed her on the top of her head, and the on her forehead, moving slowly downwards to her lips. But before he kissed them he whispered to her.

"I love you River Song. I always have, and I always will. Don't ever, _ever_ forget that"

She responded with her mouth, but not with words. She moved forward, her hands on his cheeks, caressing them gently with her thumbs as she kissed, and kissed and kissed. Never wanting to let go. Not ever. She wanted to stay with him forever, but she knew it didn't work that way. He meant the world to her. The entire universe was a better place when he was there beside her. But soon he wouldn't be, and she'd be alone, and that scared her more than anything. The thought of losing him. Losing her Doctor. It broke her heart. He held onto her for dear life, scooping her body up in his arms and pulling her closer and closer, with no objection from River. His hearts were racing, faster than they'd ever done before. She was the only one who could give him butterflies, the only one who could make his hearts pound out of his chest like that, the only woman who could ever make him feel almost human. Nobody could ever replace her.

The DVD still played in the background, but they weren't watching it anymore. He kissed her with more passion, more and more ferocity. And when they parted she gazed deep into his eyes as he stroked her hair and she caressed his cheeks, his eyes were glazed over with love, sparkling with both excitement and fear, both joy and sadness. It didn't need saying. It never needed saying. But they said it anyway, sometimes too much. But those same three little words never got old. They never got boring or repetitive, because each time was different, same words, different scenarios. But River knew that those words would keep her going, but would also be the death of her. Her love for this man, this impossible man, was so great that she would do anything for him, anything at all. She'd give her life to save him without a shadow of a doubt or an ounce of hesitation. She didn't really believe she'd ever have to though, even though she knew she would if it came to it. But little did she know that that was exactly what she would come to do. His River Song, giving her life for his. Yet another person he loved, who would be cruelly snatched away from him. Because he was never allowed to live happily ever after like in the stories. For he was destined to be the lonely angel, the lonely Doctor. But River Song was - and always would be - his true love, the closest thing to the fairytale happiness he'd craved all his life.

The Doctor switched the TV off with the remote and River clambered on top of him, pushing him down onto the sofa, his lips caressed by hers. His hands trailed up and down her back before he wrapped one arm securely around her waist and the other nestled in her hair. She sat back on her knees, straddling him and beginning to undo his trousers expertly, as he reached up to do the same to her. He unbuttoned her shirt quickly, sliding it down her shoulders and then beginning to kiss the exposed flesh. She crashed down on top of him again and he smiled before kissing her again, his tongue entwined with hers.

River sat back again, but this time she lifted herself off him and began to walk away, looking over her shoulder at him and biting her bottom lip seductively as he leapt up to follow her. She extended her arm behind her to take his hand and then she pulled him along the corridor towards their bedroom. She pushed the door open gently before stepping in side, turning round to face the Doctor, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down on top of her onto the bed. She pulled one end of his bowtie and it untied nicely and River slid it off him and dropped it carefully on the floor. She unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off before letting her nails drag down his chest, scratching him, but not hurting him. She pulled him close to her, her lips crashing into his. She wanted to be close to him. But no matter how close they got it still wasn't close enough. They clasped each other tightly, not wanting to let go. It was their last night together like this, and they were going to make the most of it.

**...[The Next Day]...**

The Doctor sat curled up in the TARDIS's library on the floor, nestled in the one of the aisles, and surrounded by books. But he wasn't reading, he was crying. Today was the day he and River parted ways and the midpoint ended. He'd see her again, he knew he would, but that would be when he took her to Darillium and he knew what came after that. The tears were rolling down his cheeks, streaming off his face. He could have cried a river with all his tears. He'd been sitting there for about ten minutes now, just crying silently, because he just couldn't stop. He could almost feel his hearts cracking into a million pieces.

River had been packing her things in their bedroom. The Doctor had offered to help, but when she had seen the tears well up in his eyes at the sight of all the suitcases, and the expression of sadness fixed on his face, she had declined his kind gesture and told him to leave it to her. But now she was finished and she had lugged her belongings into the TARDIS console room and had left them by the door. She was in search of the Doctor, calling his name as she checked each of the rooms. She pushed open the door to the library and began to look slowly around in search of him.

"Doctor? Doctor?" She looked in some of the aisles but couldn't see him, so she continued further along.

The Doctor heard her voice and tried hard to contain his tears and his hysterical gasps for oxygen. He didn't want her to see him like this; he knew it would just upset her more. When they lay together the previous night, they had agreed to try and make the day a happier one, rather than a sad one. But it was too hard, especially as he knew she was close to her death and he wouldn't be the one who she'd be spending her final months with. He buried his face in his knees, his arms wrapped tightly around his legs, hunched in a ball, trying to contain his emotions. But River heard the muffled cries and poked her head round to see him. She gasped when she saw how distraught she was and quickly advanced, crouching down to his level and pulling him tightly to her, rocking him back and forth. He couldn't help but grip her tightly, weeping into the sleeve of her cardigan.

"Shhh. Shhh" She hushed, kissing him lightly on the top of his head, before tilting it upwards and gently wiping away some of his tears. "Hush sweetie, its ok, please don't cry"

"I...I...I can't" He stammered, his body shaking.

She had seen him cry before, but never like this. He was in such a state, gripping onto her so tightly, tears streaming down his face, his body quaking and his eyes clouded.

"What's wrong? Sweetie, please tell me what's the matter with you" She asked gently, looking into his eyes comfortingly.

"I can't let you go. I can't...What am I supposed to do without you? Without Lily? I love you River...I...I...I love you" He whispered, his gaze locking onto hers. He could see she was worried sick, but he couldn't stop himself.

She pulled him into a loving embrace; his head nestled on her chest as she kissed him lightly and tenderly everywhere before leaning right up to his ear and whispering in it, the tears gathering in her eyes, just waiting to pour out.

"I love you too" She whispered. "I...love you too"

They sat together in the library for a long while, neither of them sure of exactly how much time was passing – or had passed – but neither of them caring. Eventually River managed to calm the Doctor down, but not without reducing herself to tears too. But she wiped them away and they both put on brave faces as they emerged from the library. The Doctor set the TARDIS on route to the Pond's house so that they could be reunited with Lily and the Doctor could say goodbye to his daughter before she left with River.

They arrived at the Pond's house with a thud and as River and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS they were greeted by Amy rushing out of the house with Lily in her arms. River suddenly beamed with happiness at the sight of her daughter as she took her from Amy's arms and cradled her.

"Hello Lily" River smiled, kissing her daughter on the forehead gently before looking up at her mother. "Hi mum, was she good?"

"An angel, better than you were, you kept me up all night" She laughed, still finding it strange that her daughter was both an adult and a baby at the same time. "Hello Doctor"

"Hello Pond" He smiled faintly, but he was distracted and began to talk in baby as River handed Lily to him. River thought it was only fair that the Doctor spent as much time with her as possible. But the Doctor didn't, he knew he'd be spending the rest of his life caring for Lily; it was River who should be making the most of her company.

"Where's dad?" River asked, moving her eyes away from her husband and daughter.

"Oh, he's taken Melody out to the park, err, he's taken you to the park..." She replied, thinking deeply about it, before smiling and laughing at how ridiculous it all was.

"So it's safe for us to be here then?" The Doctor asked, bouncing his daughter up and down.

"Ye-"Amy began, but was cut off by River.

"It is, but we can't stay. I've got to go. I've got to leave you now" River said solemnly, addressing the Doctor and completely ignoring her mother, tears welling up drastically in her eyes but she bit them back.

They all started to move around, Amy went over to the car and turned on the engine, ready to drive River and Lily to their new house down the road. River moved to the door of TARDIS and began to pull out her suitcases and place them on the grass and the Doctor hugged Lily tightly, kissing her head, saying goodbye.

"Goodbye Lily, I'll see you soon ok? Be good for your mum" He smiled, kissing her on her forehead and tapping her nose playfully, before strapping her into her car seat and shutting the car door. He hugged Amy tightly, kissing her on her head and stepping back as she clambered into the car, waiting for River.

River slammed the boot as she finished packing her things into the car. She stepped towards the Doctor, who pulled her into a hug. The Doctor kissed the top of River's head as she nestled herself into his chest, her arms wrapped firmly around his back, his clasped around her waist. He tilted her head up to his and kissed it passionately. She stroked his cheek lovingly and he wiped away her tears that were streaming down her face.

"I'll see you soon, yeah?" She asked nervously, still caressing his face as she cried.

"Yeah" He whispered in a barely audible voice, fighting back gallons of tears.

Some of his tears escaped his eyes and ran down his cheeks. There was silence for a moment as they both cried; taking in the sight of one another for what would be the last time for a while.

"I guess this is goodbye then. Well, for now anyway" She cried, forcing herself to smile weakly.

"Yeah"

"And you've got the address for the new house, so you can come and visit us?"

"Yeah" That was about the only word he could manage without bursting into tears.

"I love you" She whispered, moving in to kiss him again.

"I love you too. _So much_. Don't forget that" He muttered, inches away from her face.

"Never" She smiled, kissing him goodbye.

They parted for a moment, but no matter how long they dragged it out for, it was always going to happen. River's golden hair was blowing about in the warm gentle breeze, illuminated under the golden sunlight. He gazed into her eyes, saying goodbye, but not with words, but River understood what he was saying. She sniffed and stepped backwards, finally letting go of his hand, their fingers unravelling from each other's, so they weren't touching anymore. River stepped towards the car, opened the door and slid inside. Blowing him a kiss and shutting the door. He heard her voice swept up in the wind and he could hear her say _"Goodbye my love". _

From the window he could see the tears streaming down River's face, her make-up smudged. And as the car drove off she waved goodbye to him from the back window, before the car drove out of the long winding gravel drive and out of sight. The Doctor stood for a moment, standing in the garden, standing alone with the wind and the outside world for company. The tears began to fall faster and faster down his cheeks, his vision was clouded, but he didn't care. He looked down at the ground and a tear rolled off his face and landed slowly on the grass. Then he pivoted on his heels and padded his way back to the TARDIS, the door creaking open and slamming shut behind him.

He walked up to the console and wandered around it, flicking various switches leisurely. He stopped to wipe away some tears. He patted the core of the TARDIS gently.

"Just you and me now old girl" He whispered. "Just you and me..."

_**PLEASE REVIEW! I love your reviews and they inspire me to write! **_

_****[Next chapter will be up soon]****_


	13. My River Song

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Hey! Sorry for the long wait AGAIN! I have been working on my other fic "little blue book" recently and admittedly, I was actually a little reluctant to start this chapter, because it's the Darillium chapter and it took me ages to write and I kept wanting to cry, so sorry if there are a few mistakes, hopefully it's not that sad, but I'd love to know what you think of it, so PLEASE review! Reviews make my day...just saying :D There will be a few more chapters after this one, just because they've done Darillium, doesn't mean it's over yet! I hope you enjoy it! And just for the record, there are no LKH spoilers in this, and the events of LKH do not change anything in this chapter. Anyway, I've rambled enough, enjoy and please review! xxx_**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: My River Song.**

The Doctor parked the TARDIS in the front garden of River's house, the engines on silent to keep his arrival a surprise. He'd been preparing himself for this evening for weeks, months, years even, yet he still wasn't ready. He grabbed the gift he had made for River, off the table in the study before departing the TARDIS. He took a deep breath and exhaled is shakily, as he pushed the doors open and placed both feet on the squidgy grass that greeted him. He stood and admired the house for a moment. It was fairly big, not as big as Amy and Rory's but similar, with a big back garden and perfectly kept gravel drive. The house loomed in the surrounding darkness, the moon illuminating half of the house and reflecting in the small pond that was by the front door. All the lights were on in the house, and the Doctor took a hesitant step forward before proceeding to walk up the drive to the big front door. The gravel crunched under his feet as he went. He was well-groomed, wearing smart, polished black shoes with a pair of smart black trousers, a crisp white shirt and a black bowtie, of course. He also wore an elegant black jacket to shield him from the winter chill. It was a new suit; it had to be a new suit, because that's what River had told him at the library. He'd even had his hair cut a little. In one hand he held a bouquet of flowers, which consisted of pink lilies, white roses and greenery, that he was going to give to River on his arrival. He had specifically chosen those two flowers because they had the same name of his daughter, Lily Rose Song. The Doctor knocked gently at the door, careful not to ring the bell in case Lily was asleep, and then he stood and waited for a reply.

"Hang on, I'm coming" River's harmonic voice drifted from one side of the door to the other and the Doctor caught his breath as he heard the beautiful sound he'd been longing to hear for so long. With one fluid motion the door swung open and River stood in the doorway, wrapped up in a woollen cardigan and fluffy white slipper-boots. Her face froze as she saw the Doctor standing there, an uncontrollable grin fixated on his face, and before he could know what was happening the door was slammed in his face, leaving him standing helpless and confused in the cold.

"River?" He whispered, tapping lightly on the door. "It's me" When River had described this moment to him in the library all those years ago, he hadn't imagined it quite like this.

There was no reply from River, who had her back to the door and had sunk to the floor. She sat with her head in her hands, breathing deeply, unable to understand what had just happened. The Doctor continued to timidly tap on the other side of the door, his warm voice floating around in the silent night. Slowly she got up from the floor, taking deep breaths and opening the door again. She cocked her head to the side slightly, admiring his beautiful face and letting the corners of her mouth creep upwards into a smile. The Doctor's eyes lit up with hope once more, relishing her perfect smile and beautiful golden curls that he had waited so long to see.

"Hello" She whispered, tears glistening in her eyes as she held open her arms to pull him into a hug.

"Hello" He repeated, falling into her hug and clutching her so tightly, as they rocked in each other's arms in the doorway. As they parted, River pulled him into the house, closing the door behind him. "These are for you" He grinned, holding out the flowers.

"Thank you" She whispered, taking them from him, inhaling their aroma, before placing them on the side-board in the hall.

"River, are you ok? Because I am _so_ pleased to see you, but you don't seem as pleased to see me" He took her hand and held it tight, pulling her back round to face him.

"I am pleased, so pleased. I'm just...stunned" She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to slam the door in your face"

"It's alright..." He whispered, reaching out to stroke her cheek, but she flinched so he backed off. "H...have I done something wrong?"

"No, I just can't believe you came back" She muttered, walking away from him and into the living room.

He furrowed his brow, failing to understand why she wasn't glad to see him, but hurried after her anyway.

"River, how long has it been since we said goodbye at the Pond's?"

"T...two years" She was trying to fight back her tears, but the Doctor could see how much it was hurting her.

"Oh, River, I'm so sorry!" He moved forward to her and pulled her into an embrace, his hand resting on her head, stroking her hair, as she cried into his shoulder. "I didn't mean to leave you that long, it hasn't been that long for me, I'm so, so sorry"

"I know, I know, it's not your fault I'm sorry" She sniffed, wiping away the tears and stepping back from him. "I'm so glad you're here. Really I am."

"I have a surprise for you, I'm going to take you somewhere you've always wanted to go" He smiled lovingly.

"Oh, well, I'll go and get changed then" She beamed, kissing him lightly before leaving him and making her way upstairs. "Lily's up here if you want to see her"

"Of course I want to see her" He laughed, before bounding up the stairs after her.

River pointed the Doctor to Lily's room before disappearing into her bedroom to get changed, and the Doctor slipped into Lily's room, careful not to wake her in case she was sleeping, except she wasn't. The Doctor approached her crib gently, pulling up the chair that was next to it, reaching into the crib and lifting her up and out of it. He perched her on his knee as he took a seat on the chair.

"Hello Lily, wow, you're so big now!" He smiled, kissing her on the forehead. "You've grown so much...do you...so you remember me?"

"Daddy" She giggled and the Doctor thought his hearts were going to melt. She knew who he was, after all this time of him not being around her, not being able to hold her and teach her things, not being able to see her grow up, she still knew he was her father.

"Yeah, that's right" He smiled.

After about ten minutes the Doctor put Lily back in her crib and made his way across the landing to River's room. He knocked gently in the room, asking permission to enter, which she granted.

"You ready?" He asked, looking at her lovingly.

"Yeah" She stood up and straightened out her dress, but then she shook her head and sat down on the end of the bed again. "No..."

"What's wrong my love?" He moved and sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"I missed you, and I know that you couldn't have helped the time you were gone, but it hurt me. Every day it hurt me more and more. Every day, when I wake up in the mornings, I roll over in bed I expect to see you lying there next to me, but you're not, and I'm alone and your side of the bed is cold and untouched..." She swallowed and let tears escape her eyes. "And if I woke up in the middle of the night to Lily crying, I'd go into her room and expect you to be there rocking her back to sleep like you used to, but you weren't..."

"Shhh" He let her rest her head on his shoulder as she cried. He wiped away her tears and kissed her tenderly on the top of her head. "Don't cry River. I'm here now. And, I am so, so sorry that I left you for so long"

"It's ok"

"No, it's not, but I'm gonna try and make it up to you his evening"

"What about Lily?"

"We can take her with us, the TARDIS can look after her, she's done it before"

"Hmm, well just to be on the safe side, I think I'll call my mum and we can drop her off on the way"

**...[LATER]...**

"Here we are! Darillium!" He smiled as the TARDIS touched down on the planet and he flung the doors open wide, revealing it to his wife.

"Oh, wow! Doctor! Thank you! I've always wanted to see the towers singing!" She threw herself at him and he kissed her passionately for a few moments.

They had arrived on a private balcony overlooking the two huge towers that were getting ready to sing later that evening. All the other spectators were down below on the deep green grass, surrounded by a million golden fireflies, emitting a warm glow around them. The towers reached up into the magical blue sky mixed with twinkling stars, and fireworks exploded into the air, filling it with a thousand different colours. The balcony overlooked it all, it was private and tucked away with a table and chairs in the middle, decorated with lit candles and a readymade meal the Doctor had ordered for them earlier in the evening. As River wandered over to the balcony to admire the view, the Doctor took a few moments to admire her. She wore a strapless nude pink floor-length dress with matching nude pink platform heels. Around her neck she wore a silver heart-shaped locket, which caused the Doctor to wonder what was inside. She had matching dangly silver earrings and her hair had been gently teased and fell naturally at her shoulders, the way the Doctor like it. Her eyes were glazed over with wonderment and a pearly white smile was carved on her face as she stood and watched a new set of fireworks exploding in the atmosphere. The Doctor walked over to her and slotted his arm around his waist.

"It's beautiful" River whispered against his shoulder.

"Yeah..." He paused, his eyes suddenly fixated on her locket, he was so curious he just couldn't resist asking. "What's in your locket?"

"Oh, this" She tightened her hand around it, opening it up and showing him the contents. "On one side it's a picture of us on our wedding day, and on the other it's a photo of Lily on the day she was born"

"Oh, it's beautiful, where did you get it?" He asked, examining it closely.

"I bought it, and dad carved my name into it for me" She smiled.

The Doctor looked even closer then closed up the locket, and traced his thumb over the front of it where it was engraved with the word _River_, then he flipped it over and it was engraved _Song_.

"It's lovely" He smiled.

"Yeah, I treasure it. It's my way of remembering you, not that I'd ever forget _you_, but it reminds me that you're always with me"

He pulled her into a hug, letting his lips brush her hair before planting a gentle kiss on her forehead. They parted and he took her hand and led her to the table, pulling out her chair for her before taking a seat opposite her. He reached across the table and took her hand in his, holding it tightly. He knew this was the last night they'd ever have together, and was putting on a brave face, for River's sake not his own, but he knew that once the evening progressed a little further he would breakdown and wouldn't be able to control himself.

"You know...I'm a professor now" River said as she finished a mouthful of her dinner.

"A professor! Wow!" He replied, although he already knew she would be one day.

"Sweetie, I know you're not surprised, so don't humour me please" She smirked.

"W...what? How do you know?"

"You told me, remember? At the crash of the Byzantium you introduced me to Amy as Professor River Song" She raised one eyebrow.

"Oh, right, yes sorry, well congratulations anyway!" He raised his wine glass and knocked it against hers before they both took a sip.

"That's how I knew I could do it, because I knew I already had" She whispered, squeezing his hand tightly.

"You see, spoilers aren't always a bad thing" He grinned, and reached out to stroke her cheek. "I have something for you"  
>"Something else! Really sweetie, the flowers and the trip were enough"<p>

The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver he had spent weeks making for her. Her very own. Constructed from his photographic memory of the one he had seen in the library, exactly the same. With red settings and dampeners, he had even taken the liberty to engrave it with the words '_I'll love you forever_' down the side, in the smallest font possible so that the past version of him at the library wouldn't see it, but he knew River would. The screwdriver was wrapped up with a red bow and he handed it to her, causing her to gasp with delight.

"Oh sweetie!" She smiled, taking it gently from him. "My own...really?"

"I made it" He beamed "It's a new and improved version, especially for you"

"Thank you" She replied, tears of happiness brimming in her eyes and she got up and leaned across the table to kiss him, the screwdriver clasped in her left hand and her right hand rested on his cheek.

"The towers are about to sing, come on" He smiled, taking her hand as they walked over to the balcony.

The hustle and bustle of the spectators below suddenly seized as the beautiful melody of the towers filled the air. The Doctor put his arm around River and she rested her head on his shoulder with ease, closing her eyes and listening to the music. River had waited her whole life to hear their song, and she was going to treasure every precious moment, every harmonic note. The Doctor, however, was other ways occupied. The towers were singing, but he wasn't listening, he was busy feeling his hearts shatter into a million pieces. And before he knew it, the tears were falling from his eyes thick and fast, staining his cheeks as they went. River lifted her head up and frowned at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. The towers song seized and River looked up at the Doctor, who was still crying desperately.

"What's wrong my love?" She asked warmly.

"Nothing"

"But you're crying sweetie" She brushed her hand through his silk hair. "What's wrong?"

"Spoilers" He murmured, which reduced him to more tears.

"Of course" She rolled her eyes and leant up to kiss him, wiping away some of the stray tears with her thumb.

"I love you. Remember that. I, love, you" He whispered in her ear, she felt his warm breath on her skin and she couldn't help herself from pulling him close to her, forcing his lips onto hers. But he didn't mind. Not one bit. He rested his hands on the back of River's neck, pulling her closer and closer and she enveloped him in her arms, her hands around his back squeezing him tightly.

They pulled apart for oxygen and with one quick breath, River replied "Always"

"Good"

"I love you too sweetie" She kissed him on the cheek. "But, I think you should have this" she began to start sliding her wedding ring off her left finger, and held it out for him between the pads of her forefinger and thumb.

"What? River, no, we're married, you're supposed to have it, that's how it works" He protested, pushing it back. Suddenly his voice filled with worry. "Don't you want it anymore?"  
>"Of course I want it!" She cried. "But now we're not at the midpoint anymore, I think it would reduce the chance of any spoilers if we didn't wear them"<p>

"W...what do you mean?" His voice was higher and squeaky, his eyes full of worry.

"If we run into different versions of ourselves, past versions that haven't experienced what we have yet, if they see the rings they'll find out and it would alter their future dramatically. So, just to avoid the off-chance that it could happen, we should take the precaution and not wear them. You would be wise to take yours off too. And I just want to give mine to you, so you can remember me" River explained, taking his palm and placing the ring in it.

"Ok" He replied, clutching the ring tightly before putting it safely in his trouser pocket.

"Don't forget me Doctor, don't ever forget me" She whispered, a few tears escaping her eyes.

"Come here" He responded sympathetically, taking her in his arms and kissing her head three times. "I am _never_ going to forget you. Not ever"

River was talking like she knew she was going to her death, but she didn't know, she hadn't a clue. She was simply taking precautions and didn't think anything of it. But the Doctor couldn't bear it. He would never return to Darillium, because from this day forward it would be the place where he spent his last trip with his wife.

The TARDIS landed outside River's house three hours later. This was it. It was real this time. Not the end of the midpoint. The end of everything. And he couldn't even tell her. He kissed her romantically, full of passion, clinging onto her, holding her close, dragging it out for as long as possible. He kissed her goodbye. He told her he loved her, but no matter how many times he told her it still didn't feel like enough. And as he told her goodbye for the final time and she walked out of his sight and into the house, oblivious of what was to become of her and what sacrifice she was going to make, he cast his mind to his future, and Lily's future, and how she'd have to grow up without her mother by her side and he would have to explain to her what an amazing woman she was and the big sacrifice she made for him.

But he had another trip he had to make now. He had to visit the Pond's house to collect his daughter and to explain to Amy and Rory that they would never see their daughter again once she left for the expedition she was planning to go on in the morning. How they would take it, he hadn't the faintest idea, but he doubted they would take it well, he thought they wouldn't want to see him ever again, but that was a risk he was going to have to take because they were her parents and they had a right to know. The rain began to pour down from the sky as the heavens opened; soaking the Doctor through and through, trying to wash away his pain, but it wasn't that easy. He stepped into the TARDIS to shield himself from the sudden down-pour. Closing the door behind him slowly, he made his way solemnly to the TARDIS console, getting her ready to materialise at the Pond's house. He slumped onto the console room sofa and reached his hand into his pocket to pull out River's wedding ring. He kissed it and held it tightly in his hand against his hearts.

"My River. My River Song. She's gone now old girl. And I can never bring her back. But I'll always love her. Always"

_**PLEASE review if you have a minute! It would make me very happy :D x**_

**[Next chapter up soon!]**

_*Apologies if there is a wait for the next chapter, but you can check out "Little blue book" if you haven't already, and I will try hard to get it up ASAP! Sorry, sometimes life gets in the way!* xx_


	14. Brutal honesty hour

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok, so this is were it gets a little complicated! I rushed this chapter a bit, because I am laying the foundations for the next couple of chapters, but I hope it's still ok! Originally, this was gonna be the last chapter of this fic, but I changed my mind because I had an idea and I wanted to incorporate it in, so there are gonna be quite a lot of other chapters to follow now! [YAY! :D] But I have to write them first so apologies if there is a bit of a wait, but I will try really hard to write it and post it as soon as I can because I'm really excited about what's coming up in the next couple of chapters! So, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's basically the Doctor telling Amy about River, PLEASE review it, and if it's really bad, I'm sorry, hopefully it doesn't put you off, because there is some great stuff coming up! I promise! xx**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Brutal Honesty Hour.**

The Doctor stood in the cold with the rain streaking his face, although just how much of it was rain and how much were tears he wasn't sure. He knocked violently four times on the Pond's front door and Amy hurriedly came to and answered. She stood with a pink dressing gown wrapped tightly around her and looked a little taken aback when the Doctor didn't say anything to her and simply just wandered into their house. Amy frowned, but she could instantly tell something was wrong, and took his soaking jacket form him and wrapped him in a blanket. Amy led him to the kitchen where she sat him down and began to quickly make them both a mug of hot chocolate. The Doctor sat on the stool, staring into space, his straggly wet hair dripping water onto his clothes and the countertop. Amy handed him the cup of warm liquid and took a seat opposite him.

"Doctor, what happened? What's wrong?" She asked, reaching out to take his hand from across the table, but he flinched and she retracted her arm.

"It's River" He whispered.

"What about her? She said you were going out tonight, that's why we've got Lily. What's happened? Doctor, what's happened to her?" She questioned, her voice suddenly filled with worry.

"Nothing yet. But tomorrow she's going to leave on that expedition, the one I presume she's told you about already"

"Of course"  
>"And, I'm sorry, Amy I'm so sorry, but she won't be coming back"<p>

Amy looked startled, and began to shake her head from side to side in denial; she gasped and clasped her shaking hand to her mouth, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Why?"

"She dies there" He was telling her how it was, brutally and honestly, not bothering to lie for her sake. "When I first met her, she was at the end of her time stream and she sacrificed herself for me, for our timelines, and for 4022 other people. I couldn't save her, if I could, I _swear_ I would have. But you know River, and she knew me, she knew I'd try and stop her, so she handcuffed me so I couldn't"

"And...you just, let her die"

"No. I did save her. In a way..." He swallowed hard and took a sip of his drink, savouring the taste in his mouth and wiping away his tears. "I gave her a sonic-screwdriver of her own this evening, which I used all those years ago to download her consciousness into the library's data core so she could live on, with all her memories of us"

"Is she safe? Is she happy?" Amy began to weep, biting her lip and gripping onto the Doctor's hand tightly.

"She's safe, but...you know River, she loves exploring and going on adventures and _I_ trapped her in a virtual world, I don't know if she's happy or not. But I hope so" He sniffed, brushing away more of his tears and shivering at the cold water that was settling on his skin.

"So, tomorrow, when River leaves, I'll never see that version of her again" Amy said, not really talking to the Doctor, just talking out loud and trying to make sense of it all.

"Yes. And I am so, _so_ sorry" He whispered softly, getting up and pulling her into an embrace.

"It's ok, I've got Melody, and I've still got that all to come right? I get to live it all over again?"

"Yes" He took a deep, shaky breath. "Make the most of every second you have with Melody, she's an amazing girl, and will one day be a beautiful woman" He kissed Amy's forehead gently.

"You can always come and see Melody any time you like Doctor, you know that don't you?"

"Thank you Amy, but I don't think I'll be coming back here much anymore. I don't think I can face it"

"But...what will I do? You're my best friend, you're my son-in-law! And, and what about Lily? She's my granddaughter! I want to see her, I want to see you both" Amy cried, holding onto the Doctor for dear life, her hands clenched on the front of his shirt, crying desperately into his chest. She was pretending that everything was going to be ok. That, just because she still had Melody, grown up River's death didn't bother her that much, but she was distraught.

"I'm sorry. I'll try. Oh, Pond, I promise I'll try" He kissed the top of her head and gently prised her off him, pushing her backwards. "Where's Lily? We need to go now"

"She's upstairs" The Doctor turned to face the door, but Amy pulled him back. "Doctor, you're gonna have to tell her one day, aren't' you. When she asks where her mum is, what are you gonna say? How can you possibly tell her that she'll never see her mum again?"

"I...I don't know" He whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

"Can you ever save her?" Amy avoided the Doctor's gaze as she stared at her feet. "River, can you ever bring her back?"

"I don't think so" He walked away from her, heading up the stairs to collect his daughter.

The Doctor didn't think he could save her, but he vowed to himself that he would spend the rest of his life thinking about all the possibilities. He found it hard to be in the Pond's house now, seeing lots of little Melody's things and remembering all the memories he had shared with River in this house. She had sat in the very stool he'd just been sitting on, when they told Amy and Rory they were getting married. It was just the little things like that that made him want to breakdown. The hard exterior that he normally had was no longer there. He had seen so many people he loved perish, but it was different this time, it was his wife. The love of his life. Hs best friend's daughter. His River Song.

As he carried a sleeping Lily down the stairs in his arms, Amy, who had been standing in the hall at the bottom of the staircase waiting for him, kissed Lily on the forehead, brushing back her curly blonde hair.

"Goodbye sweetheart" Amy whispered, as she admired her granddaughter for what she knew could be the last time. "I'll see you soon"

Amy looked to the Doctor, her eyes full of hope, but his expression remained one fixated with sadness and she shut her eyes solemnly.

"Tell Rory I'm sorry" The Doctor muttered.

"Thank you Doctor, I know it wasn't easy for you to tell me that" She whispered, resting her hand on his arm comfortingly.

"I know it wasn't easy for you to hear"

"_Please_ come back one day Doctor" Amy pleaded weakly.

"We'll see"

And with that the Doctor walked out of the front door, away from the big old house which held so many memories. Memories of a seven year old Amelia Pond, fish fingers and custard, baby Melody and most importantly River Song. He was walking away from all the now. The Doctor stepped into the TARDIS, with his little girl in his arms and placed her gently down onto the sofa, still sleeping peacefully. The Doctor perched beside her, kissing her forehead tenderly and brushing back some of her golden curls. The little ringlets shimmered under the TARDIS lights, the curly blonde hair that reminded him so much of River. He knew there would be echoes of the enigmatic River Song wherever he looked and those memories were going to haunt him for a long time. But he was going to care for his daughter; she was going to be loved, and even if Lily couldn't completely heal the pain of losing his wife, she was a part of her and she helped fill the void a little, because he wasn't completely alone anymore.

_**Please review if you have a minute.**_

_**[Next chapter up soon]**_


	15. An impossible choice

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! This chapter is set 5 years after the previous chapter. I don't know if it makes sense what Lily is planning to do, but basically if you go to the end of this chapter, I have written about it there (not up here at the start, I don't want to spoil it for you! 3) I hope you enjoy it, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review if you have a moment, your reviews are greatly appreciated! xx Enjoy! **

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN: An impossible choice.**

The TARDIS hummed peacefully as it flew steadily and calmly through space. Meanwhile, the Doctor was tucked away in the TARDIS library, divulging himself in Earth's history, most of which he had actually experienced at some point in his life. It was a Saturday, a day which the Doctor loved, and a day the TARDIS loved, and the Doctor was taking his daughter to the leisure planet known as Fiesta 95. But Lily had other ideas. Now a seven year old girl, Lily had lived without a mother for five years, but today, she was going to rectify that. But it was going to come at a huge cost, and she knew that, but to reunite her mother with her father was the greatest reward Lily could dream of. She had been planning this day for months, desperately trying to think of a way to save her mother, and then, one day, she figured out how. Lily quietly made her way to the console room, tiptoeing down the corridor so the Doctor wouldn't hear. Her golden curls bounced at her shoulders as she arrived in the control room, quickly getting to work on the wiring. Lily patted the console gently, before pulling levers and slamming her hand down on various coloured buttons.

"Come on old girl; take me to the library, and quietly so dad doesn't discover I've changed the destination" She whispered, and the TARDIS hummed in response and set itself on course for its new destination.

Lily sat back on the sofa and smiled into the air. The Doctor had done a wonderful job of raising her on his own, teaching her things, and taking her travelling. And although she was young, Lily appreciated and understood everything. But she missed her mother, and she could tell her father did too. Lily had seen his little drawings and mathematical equations, his many pieces of crumpled up paper in the study, his desk overflowing with his ideas, ways to save her, but he hadn't been able to achieve what he promised himself he would. He had lost all hope of saving her. But Lily hadn't.

The TARDIS landed with a thud, and Lily flew out of the doors at lightning speed. They had landed in the room where River had sacrificed herself. Lily surveyed the room carefully, tears brimming in her eyes. River's screwdriver was still plugged into the wall, the chair was empty because River's physical form had been burnt, and the handcuffs River had used to chain the Doctor to the rail were in a heap on the floor from when the Doctor had escaped. Quickly, Lily grabbed the handcuffs off the floor and hid behind the TARDIS, waiting for the Doctor to emerge so she could put her plan into action. About a minute later, the TARDIS doors swung open and the Doctor appeared, looking around in search of his daughter, but instead he was greeted with the room he never wanted to return to. Memories washed over him and his eyes flooded with tears as he stood there, looking around miserably. Suddenly Lily cuffed his wrist, dragging him with all her might to the same rail he'd been chained to before, and doing the exact same thing as her mother. The Doctor yelled in protest, but when Lily moved into his gaze, he gasped in response and shook his head from side to side in defeat.

"Lily? What the hell are you doing? Why did you handcuff me?" He shouted at her as she moved away from him and sat in the chair, fiddling with different wires in the same way River had done.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" She mouthed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"I'm bringing mum back to life" She whispered, staring him right in the eye and almost feeling his pain.

"How? It's not possible...believe me Lily, I've tried. It's not possible" He muttered.

"I'm a timelady, a full timelady, and even though I'm only young, I have more memory space than mum does, because she's partially human. I'm going to swap myself for her. I'll take her place, I'll live in the virtual world, and mum can come back and live with you. Daddy, I know how much you love her, and how much it hurts you that she isn't here. But I'm going to fix that" She smiled weakly, and continued to wire herself into the chair, taking the head gear and placing it carefully on her head.

"No...no, Lily, it'll kill you" He whispered, his face suddenly filled with terror and anxiety.

"I know" She murmured, and let a single tear drop fall from her right eye, yet she remained determined.

"I'M NOT LOSING YOU!" He bellowed, jerking forward to try and stop her, but feeling the handcuffs violently restrain him. "I've already lost River, I'm not losing you too Lily. I'm not letting you do this"

"But you can have mum back, surely that's worth something?" She cried, activating the node so the swap could begin. "Besides, there's nothing you can do"

The node, with CAL's face on it twisted round to face them. The Doctor looked on in despair, tears streaming down his face and staining his cheeks. Lily sat in the chair, her feet not reaching the ground, so they were swinging around, and her golden locks brushed back because of the head gear. He could see Lily wasn't sure about what she was going to do, and she was frightened. The Doctor knew that it wasn't going to work. He wasn't' going to get River back and Lily's body was going to burn when trying to complete the transfer, and she wasn't going to survive it. He would lose his daughter, and he could not let that happen, he needed to find a way out of the chains and fast.

"Check your data core, Professor River Song, the sole supporter of the virtual reality. Is she there?" Lily addressed the node, and the Doctor watched out of the corner of his eye and tugged at the handcuffs violently.

"Professor River Song: status, saved, currently residing in the core" CAL replied as she checked the library's records.

"Upload me to the hard drive and use my memory space to support the core, and then when the upload is complete, download Professor Song out of the virtual reality. I need a 60 second countdown to an auto-destruct so my memory can be used" Lily instructed, her voice shaking and slightly hesitant, but she told herself to remain calm and determined.

"Auto-destruct in 1 minute" CAL began, and continued to count down.

"LILY DON'T! IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK!" The Doctor cried, tugging desperately at his handcuffs. "River's physical form is gone, you can't download her properly, it won't work and you'll have sacrificed yourself for nothing! Please, Lily, please, listen to me!" He begged.

"No, you're lying"

"I'm not lying!" He pleaded, his eyes glazed over with fear. He looked to the node in desperation as the countdown reached 30 seconds. "Do something! _PLEASE_!" He begged CAL.

"Auto-destruct in 29 seconds"

"STOP HER! CAL, please, just stop her! Please" He sunk to the floor, still pulling helplessly, hoping the cuffs would release him. "Stop the countdown! _Please_, just do anything" Tears were streaming down his cheeks, forming a small puddle on the stone floor, his breathing was ragged as he gasped for oxygen through his tears. He tried to reach forward with his free hand, he wrestled with the cuffs, but nothing worked.

Lily looked to him, her eyes clouded with sadness. She thought she was doing the right thing; she was bringing her mother back to be with her father, but sacrificing herself in the process. She wanted to do it, she chose to do it. She was exactly like her mother, the Doctor could see that. Lily was determined and brave, although she knew she was about to die, just like River. Lily's cheeks were flustered, her skin burning up as the heat built up in the chair, readying itself for the transfer. The Doctor banged his head against the wall, desperately trying to think of a way to escape and stop her.

"LILY ROSE SONG! LISTEN TO ME, _JUST_ LISTEN!"

"I'm listening" She whispered.

"Please don't do this, your mum wouldn't want to come back to find you gone. She wouldn't want to live without you anyway. And it's not going to work, the download will malfunction and she won't come back. Just, please, sweetheart I know you mean well, but I don't want to lose you. I _can't_ lose you"

"I'm sorry daddy" She sniffed, brushing away her tears of bravery. "I love you"

"Auto-destruct in thirteen, twelve, eleven..."

"NO!" The node addressed the Doctor, talking like a normal person.

"Miss Song's sacrifice will be received and in return we offer you the consciousness of Professor Song" The node explained.

"But I'm telling you, it will _not_ work! There is no physical form to download it into!"

The node ignored this. It seemed to know that it was not going to work, but it offered him a choice anyway.

"You can save one, Doctor. The countdown can be terminated, you can save Miss Song. But the Professor will remain in the data core forever. Or you can retrieve the Professor, and Miss Song will be saved to the hard drive in her place" The node offered.

The Doctor looked from the node to his daughter, tears clouding his vision. Lily looked terrified, but she was determined. He was helpless, but he had a choice, an impossible choice CAL was offering him.

"What's it to be Doctor? Your wife? Or your daughter?"

**_Please review! It means a lot 3_**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just want to say that what Lily thinks will work won't actually work, which is why the Doctor is so desperate. All will be explained properly and in more detail in the next chapter, but I wanted to leave this on a cliffhanger... All will be explained next time. Trust me, you remember what happened with River's pregnancy don't you? I promised it would be ok and it was :D So h**ave faith in me m'lovelies! x****


	16. Retrieving River

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey! I am so sorry about the previous chapter's big cliffhanger, I know it was cruel of me! But I worked really hard to get this chapter up today, so please return the favour and review if you like it and have a moment! xx I promised everything would be explained properly and I hope that's what I've done :D So enjoy! x**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Retrieving River.**

"What's it to be Doctor? Your wife? Or your daughter?"

"No please there has to be another way!" The Doctor bellowed, tugging at his chains.

"Auto-destruct in five, four, three..."

Then the Doctor made the snap decision. He was not losing Lily, no way. He promised River he'd look after her, and that's what he intended to do. Lily's plan was not going to work, and she would die for nothing, River's consciousness would be lost in transfer and both of them would be dead.

"Terminate the transfer!" The Doctor shouted. "Lily, save Lily!"

"Auto-destruct terminated"

The node released him and the handcuffs fell off and fell to the floor with a clatter. The Doctor scrambled to his feet, moving like a lightning bolt to the chair and wrapping his arms around Lily's waist and pulling her off the chair. He dragged away from the chair, her little legs kicking violently in the air as she screamed. The Doctor sat down on the floor, cradling his little girl in his arms as she cried desperately. They rocked back and forth, an entanglement of arms and legs and the Doctor brushed Lily's curly hair off her ace and planted a gently kiss on her forehead. She wailed and tried to escape his clutch, but he held her tightly, and she gave up and wept with him. Her little hands were clenched into fists and she pounded them against his chest, wailing hysterically.

"Lily, my love, what did you think you were doing?" He tilted her head upwards so she was looking at him.

"I was saving mum, I wanted to save mum! Why did you stop me?" She said angrily through her tears.

"I know you meant well, but I promise I was telling the truth when I said it wouldn't work" He kissed the top of her head and she nestled closer to him as they rocked.

"Why not?"

"When she died, I saved her consciousness, that means her mind and all her memories of us, but her physical form, her body, was burnt, so although you can download her mind with no trouble and free her, she won't come back because there's no body to go with her mind. I'm sorry; I probably didn't explain it to you very well" He sniffed away some tears. "And, if you had completed the transfer, your body would have been burnt too, and your mind would have tried to have been uploaded into the data core, but would have been lost in transfer. You just would have died, and your mum wouldn't have come back. Then I'd have lost both of you, and then what would I do?" He felt overwhelmed by the thought that he could have lost both of the people he loved the most in the universe. He'd already lost one, he was not losing another. He tried to explain it as gently as he could, but she needed to understand the consequences of what she was planning to do.

Lily looked up at him, staring him right in the eyes; hers were glazed over with sorrow as the tears sparkled under the lights. She wanted to say sorry, but she couldn't manage anything. Her little body trembled as the Doctor held her tightly. She didn't say a word, just nuzzled closer to him for protection as she cried silently onto his chest. There was a deathly silence for a few minutes before Lily finally said something.

"I want my mummy" She whispered, her voice so fragile, so innocent. Lily was brave and clever, she was a timelady, but just like any little girl, she wanted her mother back. The Doctor thought his hearts were going to melt.

"I know" He kissed her head softly. "I know" Lily stood up slowly, allowing the Doctor to do the same. He took her hand and she squeezed it tight. "Let's go"

The Doctor and Lily turned to leave, wanting to just get away from the terrible room which caused them so much pain. But as the Doctor pushed the TARDIS door open with his free hand, the node spoke.

"A physical form can be reconstructed from DNA" The Doctor turned sharply on his heels to face the node, letting go of Lily's hand and running up to it.

"What did you say?"

"A physical form can be reconstructed from DNA. The form will be activated with the download of the person's consciousness from the library data core"

"Yes! So I can save her!" He was grinning from ear to ear now, with confused Lily watching warily. The Doctor groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "But I don't have DNA! And River's gone, so I can't get any! NO!" He hit his head against the wall, his teeth gritted and tears welling up in his eyes. He was so close, he could save her now he knew how, but he was missing the tiniest of details. "No! I'm so close; don't do this to me now"

"Dad? What's happening?" Lily's voice was quiet and timid as she stood nervously by the TARDIS, watching him.

There was silence, the Doctor didn't answer Lily's question, and he hit his forehead a few times, desperately trying to think of a way to acquire some of his wife's DNA. Then it hit him at full force and he went running off into the TARDIS shouting "MELODY!" then he began pressing buttons and kicking up leavers, before he ran out again. He kissed Lily quickly on the top of her head.

"Lily, I'll be gone a few minutes, then I'll be back I promise! Stay here, and don't do anything stupid!" He smiled, stroking her hair tenderly.

"Why? Where are you going?" She questioned softly, frowning as she looked at him, a look of complete confusion written across her face.

"I'll explain when I get back, just wait here!" And with that he closed the TARDIS door and the break noise kicked in and in the blink of an eye he was gone, leaving Lily standing alone in the library.

**...[The Pond's House: 2018]...**

The TARDIS landed with a thud on the lawn of Amy and Rory's house. The Doctor, pleased with what he was going to do, went bounding out of the doors and up the path, ringing the old doorbell six times and hammering on the big blue front door violently. Amy came to the door; a look of anger suspended on her face in response the noise that was being caused. She looked older now; although she was still young, but not as young as she was when they used to travel together. Amy and Rory were about 29 now. _How quickly time passes_, the Doctor thought. It had been 7 years since the Doctor dropped them off back home and since he married River and had Lily. But it had also been 5 years since the Doctor had said goodbye to his wife at Darillium and told Amy about River's sacrifice. He hadn't been back to the Pond's house since, and stupidly, he underestimated how she would take his sudden, out-of-the-blue appearance.

"Doctor? Amy whispered softly, her voice fragile and her skin pale. She was dressed in jeans and a thin floral top which floated around in the breeze that was wafting from outside, through the house. Her beautiful ginger hair sat at her shoulders, with a strand of hair plaited and clipped to the side. She looked genuinely shocked to see him.

"Hello Pond" He grinned, expecting her to hug him and let him in, but she didn't. She stood there, staring at him, her body frozen.

"Amy?" Rory's voice called from inside the house. "Who is it?" When Amy didn't respond he appeared in the hall. "Amy, who is..." He froze too.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked.

"I can't believe it's you" Amy whispered, her bottom lip trembling slightly.

Rory moved closer to the door and put his hand on his wife's shoulder comfortingly. They both looked completely shell-shocked and he couldn't understand why. He knew it'd been a while since he last came to visit them, but they weren't welcoming him with open arms like they usually did.

"Well, it is me, blue box and everything!" He smiled happily, pointing to the TARDIS. He put one foot in the house, trying to indicate that he wanted to come in, but Amy close the door slightly, forcing his foot out.

"Get out" Amy mumbled angrily under her breath. "GET OUT!"  
>"What?"<p>

"You heard me, get out!" Amy turned her back to him, leaving the door wide open.

"Amy, I..."

"Hey, Amy, Amy come here..." Rory stopped her from disappearing into the house. Amy nestled herself on his chest as she let a few tears fall. The Doctor shot Rory a worried glance as he furrowed his brow. "Amy, he didn't do anything wrong, he just hasn't been here for a while. Don't be like this sweetheart"

"Ok. Ok" Amy sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

"I need to see Melody"

"No, I don't want you anywhere near her"

"No, Amy you don't understand, I need something from her" The Doctor stated determinedly. He was going to get a sample Melody's DNA; he was_ not_ going to give up.

"What?" Amy snapped, warily moving closer to the Doctor.

"DNA"  
>"No! Don't you touch her!" Amy hissed, waving her finger at him angrily. "I won't let you harm her in any way!"<p>

"I'm not going to harm her, Amy. I'm going to save her"

"What do you mean?" Rory asked, stepping forward and holding his wife's arm, but he wasn't quite sure whether it was to restrain her or comfort her.

"If I can get some of River's DNA, I can save her from the library! I can bring her back to life! Amy, Rory, I _can _save your daughter, but you have _got_ to let me see Melody, you have got to trust me" He looked at his friends with pleading eyes. "Please"

Amy looked at him for a moment, then her expression changed drastically, she cocked her head to one side and looked at him innocently, tears glistening in her eyes as the sunlight bounced off them. The corners of her mouth moved into a faint smile and she nodded weakly, pointing him in the direction of Melody.

**...[The Library: 51****st**** Century]...**

The Doctor raced out of the TARDIS, the doors swinging shut behind him. Lily abruptly stood up from where she had been sitting in the floor. But the Doctor simply glanced at her and flashed a warm smile. He ran to the node, which had shut down in his absence, but it turned its head to face him upon his arrival.

"I've got DNA!" He held up a test tube with a swab inside it. Melody had been very brave and had let him take some DNA from inside her cheek. "Now what do I do?"

"Place the DNA sample in the container" The Doctor slotted took the swab from the case and placed it gently in the glass container on the table which was wired up to the chair and the mainframe, and then he put the lid on it. "Stand away"

The Doctor stepped back, taking Lily's hand and guiding her away from the chair. The chair started to whirr and the container began to rattle as a silvery light shone down on it from the ceiling. Coloured lights on the mainframe began to light up. The Doctor wasn't sure what was happening, but it looked like CAL was using the swab to create another River. Quite honestly, he didn't care as long as it meant he got his wife back. Suddenly the container disappeared and in its place was a body, but it was difficult to make it out because of the bright light that surrounded it. The body was suspended in the air by a beam but was slowly lowered to the ground. Suddenly the body emitted a huge, blinding bright light and the Doctor and Lily were thrown to the floor by the powerful waves that were sent through the air.

The Doctor and his daughter shielded their eyes from the light, so they were unable to see what the body was doing. But it was forming itself into a new body for River, similar to the way the flesh worked, but not entirely the same. As the DNA swab was turned into a new physical form for River, her consciousness was downloaded from the data core and placed into the new body. When the light faded, it was easy to see, as plain as day in fact, there stood River Song. She looked exactly the same as she did before, with her coiled golden hair, her beautiful slender figure, and her enticing eyes that glistened under the lights. She had a new body, but because the DNA was River's DNA, and her image and memories were sustained in the virtual reality, when they all came together, she was exactly the same as before she died. _The same old River. Their River. _

The Doctor and Lily slowly stood up from where they had been flung to the floor. They brushed themselves off carefully and looked to River, looking her up and down as she examined herself. She put her hands on cheeks, then looked at her palms, twisting her hands, then to her heart to feel it beating. She breathed a sigh of relief, and then she looked up and saw her husband and daughter, and she began to cry, although she had the biggest pearly white grin on her face. She opened her arms and Lily ran into them, holding her so tightly screaming out "Mummy!" and River crouched down to her level, kissing her on the top of her head as she began to cry hysterically.

All her life, River had believed that the Doctor would always save her, and when she had been sacrificing herself, she had given up all hope of being saved. But when he saved her consciousness to the data core, she thought that was the extent of him saving her. But it wasn't. He saved her, and he saved her properly. He resurrected her. The Doctor stood looked at her, not really believing what he'd just done. _He had saved her. He had saved her._ He kept repeating it in his head, drumming it in properly. But he couldn't resist it anymore, when River looked directly at him, smiling through her tears, she released Lily from her grip and Lily willingly stepped away. The Doctor and River ran at each other, just like in the movies, they didn't care if it was clichéd. The Doctor wrapped his arms around River's waist and held her tighter than ever before. River flung her arms around his neck and they stood, crying in each other's arms. Lily, who was watching and grinning as she saw her parents reunited, which was all she'd ever wanted since the day the Doctor told her River was gone, moved and nestled herself in between her parents.

River was alive and well. The Doctor had a wife and a daughter, for once, he had happiness, and he was going to hold onto it forever. River's cheeks were stained with tears of joy, as were the Doctor's, and she stroked the Doctor's cheek with one hand and her daughter's hair with the other.

"Hello sweeties"

_**Please review! It's greatly appreciated and will make me post the next chapter more quickly...just saying ;)**_

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't know if this theory will actually save River in the show, I doubt it would work, but for the sake of the story, just imagine that it would work. And I hope I explained it well enough to convince you that it would work :D Haha :) Hope you enjoyed it. More chapters are on the way, I'm not done yet, there are more twists and turns to come (nothing bad don't worry!) xx**


	17. Leaping into the unknown

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! Sorry for the longer wait, real life got in the way unfortunately. I really wanted to get this chapter finished and the next one will be up as soon as I have time! So PLEASE bear with me! Last time I promised more twists and turns, and they come near the end of this chapter and will be explained in more detail in the next chapter. But I had some people asking what the last chapter's events would affect the Doctor and River and I hope I have explained it well in this chapter. Tell me what you think :) Please review! And enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Leaping into the unknown.**

"I can't believe you saved me" River whispered, looking from her husband to her daughter in turn, before pulling them close to her and squeezing them tightly.

The Doctor's hands ran up and down River's arms, checking she was real and he wasn't just dreaming. He'd dreamt of this moment for so long, never really believing he could make it a reality. Lily tugged at River's sleeve and she bent down, enveloping her into a bear hug, her hand stroking her silky hair. River brushed away a few of Lily's tears with her thumb and smiled warmly at her.

"Don't cry my love, mummy's here now" She kissed her forehead carefully before standing up again and looked to the Doctor, resting her hand on his cheek "What did you do sweetie? How did you...I didn't...I didn't think you could save me"

"Neither did I" The Doctor smiled.

The Doctor pulled River into an embrace again, nuzzling his face into her shoulder. As they pulled apart, River looped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers; kissing him passionately like it was the first time. For the Doctor it had been nearly 10 years since he'd first witnessed her death, and five years had passed since they parted ways, for what the Doctor thought would be the final time, after Darillium, and poor River had been in the virtual reality for five years, with every 'day' that passed thinking she was to be stuck in the data core forever. She hadn't even dared to hope that one day he'd come back for her, one day she'd see his face again, one day she'd see her daughter and get to watch her grow up, one day she'd get a second chance to live. Lily slowly backed away from her parents, who were still wrapped in each other's arms. She looked at her mother's sonic screwdriver, which was still sticking out of the wall, and then she removed it gently, examining it as she walked back to her parent's side. Lily noticed that it was engraved with _"I'll love you forever"_ down the side, and she couldn't help but smile to herself before handing it to her mother, who had finally let go of her father.

"Shall we get out of here?" River smiled kindly.

"Yes...ooh! Hang on, you too go into the TARDIS, I'll be back in a minute" The Doctor grinned and went zooming off into the depths of the library, leaving River and Lily exchanging glances of confusion, but River rolled her eyes, making Lily giggle before she took her hand and led her into the TARDIS.

River took in the sight of the familiar blue box's interior, after having not seen it in years. It felt so good to be home. River felt a warm sense tingling throughout her body and a huge grin conquered her cheeks. Just then, the Doctor burst through the doors, tumbling over his feet and falling clumsily to the ground. River and Lily pivoted on their heels. The Doctor, still lying on the ground, extended his arm into the air and held out River's little blue diary. He had remembered that he'd left it in the library all those years ago, and he had gone back to see if it was still there. River took if from him.

"I thought you might want this back" He grinned, clambering to his feet.

"Thank you"

"I didn't peek, I promise"  
>"Well, thank you sweetie, but it wouldn't have mattered if you did; we've both experienced everything in this book now" She patted it twice gently. "They're not spoilers anymore"<p>

River looked at him, their eyes locking onto each other's, indicating that she wanted to talk alone with him. The Doctor nodded subtly and turned to his daughter.

"Lily, go and phone the Ponds, tell them your mum's safe" He smiled, pecking her on the cheek before she scuttled off into the depths of the TARDIS.

River stepped into the Doctor's arms, clutching her battered diary tightly to her chest as he hugged his wife and they parted with a quick tender kiss. She looked at him quizzically, but then relaxed and smiled kindly.

"I didn't think you were coming for me" A few tears escaped her eyes.

"Hey, hey, don't cry" He whispered gently, stepping towards her and kissing her head comfortingly, he tilted her head up to reach his and looked directly into her eyes. "I am _always_ coming for you. _Always_. Wherever you are, whatever happens, I will _always_ come when you call. I will always save you when you need me River. _I promise_. I will _never_ let anything bad happen to you again" He welled up, and pulled her close.

"What happens now? Because you saved me, and you weren't supposed to. I was supposed to die..."  
>"No. You were not <em>supposed<em> to die. You made a sacrifice, an _amazing_ sacrifice. So don't ever say that" He interrupted and kissed her soft pale lips tenderly.

"But before all this...you knew I was going to die. All this time, you knew, and you couldn't say. Oh my love, I can't imagine how hard that was" She sniffed, the realisation of what he had had to deal with suddenly hitting her. "And Darillium, you knew that would be the last time you'd see me, all along you knew. I'm _so _sorry. It's all my fault"

"No, it's not your fault. It is in _no way_ your fault"

"And if you hadn't saved me, you would have had to raise Lily alone" She gasped.

"But I did save you"

"Yes, and I can't explain how grateful I am" She gripped onto him tightly and kissed him vigorously, pulling him as close as possible, not wanting to let him go. "What did Lily do when you told her what had happened to me?" She whispered as she rested her head on his chest.

"She cried. She cried her hearts out. And believe me River, two hearts, that's a _lot_ of crying" The Doctor sniffed. "At first, I didn't tell her. When she asked, I just said you'd gone away for a while. But when she got older, she began to understand and she kept asking questions, _really_ difficult questions and, I just felt obliged to tell her the truth. So one day I did. And she broke down in tears, and she didn't stop. There was a point, where I actually thought she wasn't ever gonna stop. She didn't eat, she hardly slept. She used all her energy to cry. I heard her in the night, as I lay in bed, I heard her crying, and she just felt isolated and alone. I let her sleep in my bed with me on the really bad nights; it was the only way she would go to sleep, knowing there was someone beside her, and looking after her. I think she thought, as she'd lost you, she could lose me at any moment and she'd be abandoned. There was nothing I could do; I just had to let her come to terms with it by herself. And she did, eventually. But, something like that you don't ever really come to terms with it"

"Poor girl, and poor you, I can't imagine how hard that was. I am so sorry"

"Don't apologise. Its fine, my love"

"I can't help feeling guilty" She sniffed, cupping his cheeks in her hands.

"I know, but you shouldn't, because it's not your fault" He kissed her deeply. "You are an amazingly strong woman, River, considering all you've been through. You are the _best_ and most perfect wife I could ever wish for, and I love you _so_ much. You're a wonderful mother to Lily and you have nothing to feel guilty about my love" He smiled kindly, and she nodded gently. "So, what happens to us now?"

"Our timelines are messed up now sweetie, because before, you knew I was going to die, and you knew there was a beginning, middle and end. But now, there isn't"

"So, we're free? Our timelines no longer have control over us. We can live together in the TARDIS with our daughter. No spoilers. No secrets. No confirmed death dates. The clock isn't ticking anymore, we're free" He grinned, as tears of joy rolled daintily down his cheeks.

"We can experience everything together, for the first time. Leaping head first into the unknown, blissfully unaware of what lies ahead" River finished for him as the Doctor wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. Just as River snuggled herself close to the Doctor's chest, Lily returned.

"Everything alright with your grandparents?" The Doctor asked, as River lifted her head from his chest.

"Yeah" Lily smiled and reached out to take her mother's outstretched hand.

The Doctor and River's lives together had been jumbled up from the start, and with the Doctor knowing the dangerous and life changing secret of how his wife died, it had automatically caused a pattern to develop and a beginning, a middle and an end to form. But since the Doctor and Lily had rescued River from her death, they could live together again, have adventures, travel the stars, and be a proper family, it was like a never ending halfway, except without the impending visit to Darillium. They could live together until the day they died. The Doctor would grow older and keep regenerating if he needed to, and because River was half-timelady the Doctor was unsure of how long his wife would live now, but he was sure that because she was the child of the TARDIS, she would live longer than a regular human being. All this time, the Doctor, who had drummed it into his head that he was never going to be allowed to love properly, never going to be allowed to have total happiness, but now it looked as if he was going to get his happily ever after, after all.

"So, where to now?" River smiled. "Anywhere and everywhere, where shall we go first?"

"We should celebrate" The Doctor grinned. "Lily and I were on our way to Fiesta 95, we could go there, if Lily still wants to?"

"Lily, what do you think?" River replied, looking to her daughter.

"Yeah, let's go!" Lily giggled, jumping up and down before running to the console with her father and setting the TARDIS in motion.

River sat back on the console room's sofa and admired her husband and daughter racing around the console. Lily was flying the TARDIS expertly, correcting her father when he made his little mistakes and the TARDIS hummed happily in response. _He must have taught her how to fly the TARDIS whilst I was trapped in the library's data core,_ River thought. She had missed five years of her daughter's life. The last time she saw her, before she handed her over to her the Doctor after Darillium, she was only a two year old. Now, she was seven and River felt disheartened knowing that she had missed important years. If anything, River even felt a little jealous that Lily had now formed such a strong bond with the Doctor. Lily still loved River all the same, she could see that, but the Doctor and Lily had had years together, time to bond, time for him to teach her things, and River missed that. She could always look at pictures, and hear stories of their adventures, but it wasn't the same as actually experiencing it firsthand. Being stuck in the data core had been almost like torture at times, she had longed to see the Doctor and Lily every day that went by and at times her mothering instincts had taken over. River had been caring for CAL and Donna and Lee's virtual children during her time there, and although Donna's children had names, on occasions, when she was really pining to see her real family again, River would accidently call the little girl Lily. And the small slip of the tongue would cause her unimaginable pain. But all that was over now, and River knew that life was too short to be jealous of their relationship.

The TARDIS touched down on Fiesta 95 and Lily went bounding out of the door, tugging River and the Doctor behind her. The wooden TARDIS doors swung shut behind them with a creek, and the Song family stood and admired the sight. The holiday planet had a clear blue atmosphere and wispy turquoise shapes darted in and out of the sky, hovering above them. The golden sun shone brightly with light leaking into every part of the leisure planet, and the party music boomed loudly form speakers suspended around the large open-air area. The ground below them was soft and smelt glorious, with the fragrance of delicious berries floating around in the air. There was hustle and bustle from people, aliens and creatures as they moved around. There was squealing from those who were riding on the huge rollercoaster and the sound of chatter and laughter could be heard all around. The enormous clear lake was see-through so they could see all the way to the bottom where small fish and aquatic animals were swimming around peacefully and it glistened and shimmered under the sunlight and stretched as far as the eye could see. There were swimming pools, water activities, adventure activities and fairground rides all around them, and Lily's face was one of complete wonder and happiness, she couldn't wait to get started and have some fun in light of what had happened. But at that moment, all celebrations were put on hold.

A tall, thin blonde girl was being escorted out of the premises by two big buff security guards. She yelling in protest as she kicked her legs violently in the air and her feet dragged along the ground as she was thrown bullishly to the floor and the security guards walked away. She stood up sharply, dusting herself off and yelling after them. Her long straight blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail with strands falling onto her face. She wore a crisp white shirt, which was now slightly dusted with dirt from her fall, with three-quarter-length sleeves and it was tight around her chest and showed off her slim, toned figure, she also wore skinny deep blue jeans and black combat boots. The Doctor noticed a gun poking out of her brown leather gun-holster which was tight around her waist. The girl pivoted round so she was in full view of the Doctor and his family, and immediately he recognised her.

"Oh my god" The Doctor breathed, his mouth falling open and his jaw dropping.

"Doctor?" River questioned as she noticed that the Doctor obviously knew who the girl was.

"She's alive" The Doctor's eyes widened, he was completely shocked at the sight that lay before him, but he spoke mainly to himself, thinking out loud, ignored River.

"Doctor? Who is she?" River asked, trying to get his attention and for him to snap out of his dazed state.

"Jenny" The Doctor breathed. "My daughter"

_**Please review! It's greatly appreciated! x**_

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had this idea a while back and I really wanted to include Jenny in their story, I think it would be great! And I promise there will be more things to come very soon, so stick with it! :) I am a little wary that now I have taken away the whole "spoilers" thing, it may take away from the Doctor and River, but I hope it doesn't, because that's not the direction I am planning to take it in, it's just that they are going to experience things together now and _sor_****_t of_ in the right order. I hope you understand what I mean, I'm not great at explaining things. But please review and tell me what you think because I love to know, it means a lot to me 3**


	18. Girl Talk

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! I have been working hard to get the next chapter up while I have the time, but during the week I don't have much time, so if I get any more done I will publish them, but the next chapter might not be up for a while. But I will try VERY hard! :) Please enjoy the latest chapters and review them, because honestly, they mean so much to me and it gets me through the week to know that you are enjoying them. (Thank you so so much to those of you who reviewed the last chapter!)**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Girl Talk.**

"Jenny" The Doctor breathed. "My daughter"

River looked shocked as her jaw fell open, and she quickly glanced to Lily who was holding her hand and looking around in a trance of wonderment, unaware of what the Doctor had just said. River knew she had to take this further and discover what was going on, but she quickly prompted Lily to go back inside the TARDIS and wait for them, which she did obediently. River then turned to her husband sharply, her heels scraping on the ground beneath them. Angrily, she began to snap at him.

"She's your _what_?" River snapped through gritted teeth, her fists were clenched angrily and the Doctor knew he was walking on thin ice here.

"My daughter" The Doctor mumbled under his breath, his gaze still fixated on Jenny.

"Oh, _OH_! Just like that" she snapped her fingers violently, advancing on him "and you've got another daughter! W...why didn't you tell me? I'm your _wife_, and _this_ is massive, how could you _not_ tell me!" River was getting angrier and angrier, and the Doctor knew his wife could reach breaking point at any moment. He hadn't even envisaged that he could save River and bring her back to life, but he had somehow, by some miracle, managed it, and now, there, right before his eyes, stood the daughter he thought was dead.

"Just...give me a minute" The Doctor whispered, finally turning to his wife and looking her right in the eyes. He could see a picture of confusion and desperation written upon River's face and glistening in her captivating eyes. "Then I'll be back to explain everything"

"You'd better" River snarled as the Doctor began to walk hastily away from her and towards the lean fair-haired girl.

River folded her arms and rested on the TARDIS as she watched the Doctor warily approach who he claimed was his daughter. River had thoughts buzzing around her head, as she thought about how he could possibly have another daughter. _He must have been with someone else! He must have had a big relationship before, was he married? Was it a one-off thing? Who's the girl's mother? Why did the Doctor say "She's alive"? _River thought_, _as various thoughts bounced around her mind. But she decided she would have to be patient and wait for his explanation, not that she had much choice anyway. She watched on as the Doctor tapped the girl lightly on the shoulder, and she pivoted round to face him, looking confused. She obviously didn't recognise him in the way he recognised her, but the Doctor said something to the girl, which River couldn't quite make out due to the distance between them, but it caused the young girl to shriek with excitement and pull him tightly into a hug, looping her arms around his neck and grinning ecstatically.

"I can't believe it's you! I can't believe I found you! Oh dad!" Jenny squealed, with tears slowly brimming in her eyes. "I heard that you'd changed, and I didn't think I'd ever find you because I didn't know what you looked like, but of course, you _would _find me!"

"Jenny, I thought you were..." He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and he wiped away his tears. "I thought you were dead"

"So did I" She raised her eyebrows. "Turns out, I _am_ like you after all"

"You regenerated?" He shook his head weakly. "But you look the same..."

"Yeah, I healed myself, but I didn't change" She smiled. "Now, who's that woman?" She asked, smirking cheekily and tossing her head in the direction of River, who was standing impatiently by the TARDIS, her foot tapping the grass anxiously.

"Ah"

The Doctor took Jenny's hand and led her towards the TARDIS and his fuming wife. River raised her eyebrows expectantly, waiting for an explanation of the young girl's origins, but the Doctor just indicated that they were going to take this inside the TARDIS, before stepping inside with Jenny. River rolled her eyes, but followed behind them. Jenny let out a gasp of excitement as she finally got to see the interior to the big blue phone box that she had heard so much about. She began running around the console and running her hands over everything she could find.

"Oh, wow, oh dad! Wow! It's...it's beautiful!" Jenny grinned, and turned to face her father, who was standing by the door watching her every move. She then ran towards him and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, holding him tightly as he stroked her silky smooth golden hair gently.

"Ok sweetie, you said you'd explain, so explain" River said, cocking her head to one side and pacing her way swiftly to the console.

"Sweetie?" Jenny mouthed to the Doctor in confusion, and the Doctor let go of his daughter and moved towards his wife, taking her gently by the hands with a little bit of protesting from River, but she eventually relaxed into his grip.

"What's going on my love? I'm so confused, I need answers, please" River whispered softly, all anger now deteriorated.

"River, this is Jenny, my daughter" The Doctor began, turning from one to the other. "Jenny, this is River, my wife"

"Oh, hi" Jenny smiled warmly, a little shocked that he was now married, but she advanced to River and extended a hand for her to shake, which she did coldly.

"Hi" River replied frostily, eyeing up Jenny.

"Can you just wait for a moment Jenny?" The Doctor asked his daughter, and then turned to his wife. "Come with me River, and I'll explain everything, I promise. But it'd be better to do it in private" The Doctor explained, and River nodded in response and the two of them slowly made their way through the winding corridors and into the lounge, hand in hand. River wandered into the middle of the room and the Doctor closed the door gently behind them, and turned to face her.

"Ok, what the hell is going on?" River questioned.

"She's my daughter" The Doctor began, and River looked very disheartened.

"But how can that be? Did you have a relationship, or a wife, before me? Who's her mother sweetie? She can't have just popped up out of nowhere!" River exclaimed.

"Actually, she did" The Doctor smiled weakly, and River furrowed her brow in response. "It was a long time ago, and I was travelling with Donna and Martha at the time, and we ended up in a middle of an endless war between the Hath and the humans. The humans needed warriors to help them win and they used my hand and my DNA to create a new warrior for their army, so Jenny was 'born', fully grown and ready for battle. She hasn't got a mother, she came entirely from me and my DNA" The Doctor explained to his confused wife, as he rested his hands on her cheeks and caressed them tenderly with his thumbs, he inched closer and kissed her red lips gently.

"Oh..." River whispered, gazing into his eyes. Then she remembered something. "But, why did you say _she's alive_?"

"Because, right at the end, when I ended the war, a man called General Cobb took a shot at me, but Jenny took the bullet that was intended for me, and she died. I thought she was going to regenerate, but she didn't and I left her behind, believing she was dead. But Jenny says she used her regeneration energy to heal herself" He smiled kindly at River who was listening intently. "She's a full timelord, just like me, and just like Lily"

"Of course" River nodded. "So, what happens now? I take it you don't want to leave her behind"

"I can't" He muttered, moving away from her and pacing round the room. "I've already lost her once; I'm not losing her again"

"I understand that" River looked at him worriedly as he paced around the four corners of the room like a caged tiger. "It would be wrong and unfair of me, to ask you to turn her away...and that's why I'm not going to"

"So you'd be ok, if she stayed?" The Doctor came to a standstill in front of his wife.

"I don't know" River shook her head solemnly and avoided his gaze, but the Doctor held her arms tightly, which forced her to look at him.

"River, I'm not going to force Jenny on you. If you're not 100% ok with the idea of her staying with us, say so now"  
>"I..." She swallowed and concentrated. "I don't know her. But I'm sure, if she's your daughter, she's lovely. And I'll get to know her. It's your decision my love" She kissed him softly and he stroked her hair tenderly. "And, I'm sure if I was in your position, you'd do the same"<br>"In a heartbeat" He smiled kindly. "So, she stays?"

"I suppose" River, sighed as she remembered. "Lily, what about Lily? Is she gonna be ok with having a sister all of a sudden?"  
>"I don't k..." The Doctor was suddenly stopped mid-sentence.<p>

A wave of laughter could be heard floating down the corridor from the control room, raging towards them. It was coming from Jenny and Lily.

"Is that...?" River asked, listening intently, but the Doctor interrupted before she had a chance to finish.

"Yeah" He frowned, but then he smiled and chuckled. "Well, listen to that. Our girls"  
>"Well, I guess we don't have a problem with Lily and Jenny getting on. Sounds like they're already firm friends"<p>

"River, can Jenny stay? Please?" The Doctor looked hopeful, and River's mouth crept into a smile.

"Of course"

The Doctor grinned in response and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head tenderly and thanking her for her kindness. The Doctor turned to leave so he could offer Jenny the chance to stay, but River grabbed his wrist tightly and hauled him back.

"Promise me, that now you've got Jenny back, it's not gonna start turning into _Jenny is your daughter and Lily is my daughter_ and we suddenly have a divide in our family. I don't want that"

"I would _never_ let that happen" The Doctor reassured her, as he rested his hands on her cheeks supportively.

"You won't neglect Lily"

"I won't neglect Lily. I would never neglect one of my daughters. Never"

"Good" River pulled the Doctor's head to hers and kissed him with a kiss full of passion and love.

"I'm sure you and Jenny will get on really well though, you're so similar" He smiled.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, you're both feisty, strong blonde women, you can both handle a gun with no problem, and you've both used the method of kissing the prison guard to escape jail" He smirked, and then became more serious. "You both sacrificed yourself for me, and...I love you both"

River laughed and took the Doctor's outstretched hand as he led her back down the corridor to the control room. They were greeted by the sight of Lily and Jenny sitting together on the sofa, giggling and smiling happily. River and the Doctor smiled like proud parents and the Doctor put his arm around River's shoulders and she nestled close to his chest as he kissed the top of her head, his lips brushing her fluffy and light coiled hair.

"Hey!" A pearly white smile stretched across Jenny's face. "I explained everything to Lily, she understands where I come from and that you're my dad. She's really bright" Jenny brushed back Lily's curls and kissed her gently on the forehead. "She said I can call her my sister"

"That's great" The Doctor smiled, advancing to his daughters, and picking Lily up in his arms and swinging her round. "I was thinking, maybe Lily and I should go and explore Fiesta 95, and you and River should have a bit of a girl talk? You know, get to know each other, now that you're staying with us" The Doctor smiled and waited for Jenny to respond.

"You mean..." She gasped and let out a small squeal. "I can stay with you!"

"Well, we can't have you getting into trouble again" The Doctor laughed.

"Thank you dad!" She leapt up from the chair and hugged him tightly, and then she retreated and looked to River. "Thank you"

"No problem" She smiled.

"Come on Lily" He smiled, taking his youngest daughter's hand and disappearing off into the crowds on the holiday planet.

River slowly made her way to the sofa and warily sat down; Jenny joined her, but kept the distance, careful not to advance to quickly. River eyed up the young girl. She was pretty, and seemed to have a nice, kind-hearted personality, similar to the Doctor. River suddenly realised she was accidently staring at her and she flashed her a warm smile.

"So...you're married to my dad" Jenny said awkwardly filling the silence.

"Yep"

"How long have you been married?"

"About 7 years. But, we have only been together for 2 of them, because I died and was trapped in a data core for 5 years, and earlier today, he rescued me" River murmured.

"Oh, that's really sweet" Jenny smiled. "He loves you so much, I can see it already. The way he looks at you"

"Thank you" River replied.

"I suppose it makes me, your step-daughter" Jenny chuckled.

"Yeah, I suppose it does" River let the corners of River's mouth crease into a faint smile. "But don't think of it like that. I will think of you as my own daughter and I hope, eventually you'll be comfortable enough with me to think of me as your mother. Jenny, I know we've only just met, but there's something about you, the way you are with the Doctor and how similar you are to me, it feels like you were destined to find us. And I will love you just as much as I love my biological daughter, and it doesn't matter if we don't share the same DNA material, I already feel in my heart that you're my daughter, and I will lay down my life to protect you at all costs" River smiled, taking Jenny's hand and holding it tightly.

"Thank you River" She smiled and let a few tears roll daintily down her cheeks. "Thank you so much for being so accepting"

"It's no trouble" She enveloped the girl in her arms and they rocked back and forth, as they parted, River asked "Do you have a surname?"

"No, it's just Jenny. I've never had a proper family, I never got the chance. I died the day I was born, and I never got the opportunity to travel with dad and for us to be a family. And by the time I healed myself, dad had gone, and it took me all this time to find him"

"Oh" River wiped away a few of Jenny's tears and she could almost see the memories washing over her. "Well, how about we give you a surname. My surname is Song, River Song. And your sister Lily is called Lily Song, so you could be Jenny Song, if you like?"

Jenny didn't say anything else, her eyes just began to sparkle with tears of joy and she pulled River into a big bear hug and squeezed her so tightly. River laughed and kissed her gently on the top of her head.

"I'll take that as a yes then"

Just at that moment the Doctor and Lily returned. Lily was holding a giant paper cup with a tropical smoothie in it and she wore a pink and white orchid lei around her neck and a multicoloured sombrero on her head and Jenny burst out laughing when the Doctor walked in with a fez on his head and a childish grin suspended on his face. River rolled her eyes and jokily pretended to be reaching for her gun. The Song family then began to discuss ridiculous hats and outfits, and how on Earth he managed to find a fez on Fiesta 95 and how he'd now started passing on his outrageous taste in hats to his daughter. River was protesting and demanding that he remove the fez immediately and eventually, River then ended up chasing the Doctor round the console, trying to take the fez away from him as Jenny and Lily watched on in fits of laughter. At that exact moment, their happiness was almost suspended in a snapshot as, for the first time in a very long time; they hadn't anything to worry about but having a good time.

_**Please take a minute to review, it means a lot xx**_

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**


	19. Night Terrors

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello! I haven't got much time now that the week has started again, but I am working towards the next chapter which I promise will be up soon! But in the mean time, I managed to finish this chapter which is sort of a filler chapter, and I know it has the same title as one of the more recent episodes of Doctor Who, but I thought it fitted really well with this chapter, so forgive me for the same title **_(I guess I should mention that the people at DW/BBC came up with the title, and I used it, but I would have called this chapter "night terrors" anyway even if the DW episode hadn't been called that, but yes, I suppose it belongs to the writers of DW!)_** but I hope you still like it and it will help be get through the week and help me writing the other chapter if you could just take a moment to review it! xx Thank you! And Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: Night Terrors.**

River tossed and turned between the sheets, causing them to crinkle and bunch up around her. She shouted out loud, unaware of what she was doing as she was trapped inside the treacherous depths of her nightmare. The Doctor lay peacefully next to her, blissfully unaware of the trauma his wife was experiencing at that very moment.

"No, NO!" River bellowed, as she sprung up into a sitting position, flapping her arms about vigorously and hurtling her pillow across the room, using it as a weapon against the imaginary demons of her psyche. She panted rapidly, getting her breath back as she snapped awake and surveyed her surroundings. The room was dark, but River could just about make out where the end of the bed was and where the entrance to their en-suite bathroom was. The night was still and silence filed the air, River lent over to look at the Doctor, who lay beside her, and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, mainly for her own comfort, but she was careful not to wake him up. Then she carefully hauled herself out of their bed, swinging her legs to the side and she cautiously padded her way through the darkness to the bathroom. She didn't switch on the light, but she reached out her hand to the cold tap and twisted it twice, allowing the water to powerfully shoot out of it. She ran her hands under the jet and soaked them with cold liquid before cupping her hands and washing water over her face, as if to metaphorically cleanse away the terrors from her dream. She took plenty of shaky deep breaths, and turned off the water, which had formed a tranquil and relaxing sound for her to listen to. She was about to brave the darkness once more, ready to get back into bed, but she suddenly remembered her dream, and pressed her back against the bathroom wall, sliding all the way down to the floor with her head in her hands as she began to cry.

Ever since her tragic ordeal with the library data core, she feared that she was going to lose the people she loved again, and it haunted her and terrorised her during the night. She felt as an impending destiny was looming, even though it wasn't and everything was absolutely fine. Before, she had had the Doctor and Lily snatched away from her when she had chosen to save the past Doctor's life, but now she had it back again, it didn't feel real, and it came for her in her dreams, the truth, the brutal honesty of the situation. But she knew, when she was awake and surrounded by the people she loved, she knew it wasn't true and it wasn't going to hurt her, but when she was isolated in her dreams, she couldn't help but doubt it.

The Doctor woke up, with a premonition that something was wrong, and when he rolled over to find River's side of the bed empty and the covers swept back, he quickly jumped out of bed and bounded around the room searching for her. He shouted her name desperately, worried about her even though he knew she'd probably be fine somewhere, but he instantly thought the worst of the situation. He suddenly paused in the middle of the bedroom and listened intently for any life signs. Suddenly, he heard muffled sobbing coming from the bathroom and he peered in to investigate. He saw River curled up on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees and her head tucked safely into them as she cried. He sighed and slowly walked towards her, bending down to her level and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close. She looked up and then gripped onto him so tightly, sobbing into his chest. He kissed the top of her head comfortingly, shushing her, but it was unsuccessful. Her confident and strong demeanour was deteriorated; River's usual positive front had vanished before his very eyes and he held his troubled wife in his arms and attempted to calm her down.

"What happened, my love?" The Doctor whispered soothingly, kissing her forehead and brushing away her wild curls, but she didn't answer him, instead she continued to cry silently into his chest, her arms snaked sturdily around his torso.

Obviously something was wrong with River, but he couldn't figure out what. The Doctor was used to aliens and destruction, death and loss, and just simply having a family and some sort of normality in his life, was still fairly new to him. So, naturally, his brain was processing about a million terrible things that could have caused her so much distress. She shivered in his arms and he felt the goose-bumps covering her toned, bare legs. She only wore a pair of checked shorts and tight-fitted crimson vest-top, and the chill that hung in the air was slowly reaching River's bare flesh. The Doctor pulled her tighter to his chest, rubbing her back gently in a circular motion to warm her up, and then he took her hands and held them tightly, kissing away some of her tears as they finally began to seize, knowing he was there protecting her brought back some of River's brave character. The Doctor looked into River's eyes comfortingly, his loving gaze locking onto hers. He gripped her hands tighter and he carefully stood up, indicating for River to do the same, which she did, and the Doctor carefully led his wife back to their bed.

River snuggled between the sheets, warming herself up again, already feeling much better than she had a few moments ago when she was curled up on the cold bathroom floor. The Doctor tucked the duvet up around her and kissed her forehead tenderly, his hand stroking her cheek and then he backed away so he could make his way round the bed to his side. He clambered in carefully and shifted his way towards River. She curled herself up against his warm body, and he wrapped his arm around her body, pulling her close. He was caring for her, protecting her and for that, she was grateful. He didn't bat and eyelid at the different side to her, he'd known her long enough to know that the confident and fearless version of River was occasionally just an act. She got scared, she got frightened, she got worried and upset just like everyone else. The Doctor, and her parents, were the only people who she ever let her guard down to, since she was a child she had had to be brave, her mother had told her that as a baby. She was a strong and dominant woman by nature, there was no doubt about it, but she wasn't like it all the time, there were moments when she had breakdowns just like the next person, and this was one of those moments.

The Doctor kissed and caressed her, calming her down even more and allowing her to relax. He hated seeing her so distressed, the woman he loved with all his hearts going through so this trauma. But he was there to help her, and he was determined to find out what was wrong. He stroked her golden hair lovingly as they lay between the sheets, wrapped up in each other, and then proceeded with his investigations.

"What happened? Why were you crying, River?" He asked gently.

"I...I had a nightmare" She breathed shakily. "It's stupid I know..."

"No, no it's not stupid" He kissed her head tenderly, reassuring her. "Everybody has nightmares; it's nothing to be ashamed of. You were obviously terrified, my love. Why didn't you wake me?"

"I didn't want to wake you, it didn't seem fair. It was just a stupid nightmare"

"No such thing as a stupid nightmare" He hugged her tightly, pressing her body against his. "I will always be here to protect you, you wake me whenever you need me, and I will never be cross, or annoyed at you"

"Ok" She whispered, nodding slightly.

"Now, are you going to tell me what it was about?" He pushed her gently to answer.

"I...I was just alone, completely alone...in a dark space, not even sure where I was. I could hear sinister voices, like Madame Kovarian's voice, telling me I wasn't worth it, and that nobody cared about me. Then I dreamt about you, and Lily and Jenny and how you'd been snatched away from me, and you didn't want me anymore. The voice said you were better off without me, and that I was a waste of space and better off in the data core" She sniffed and wiped away the new batch of tears. "Then it changed, and I woke up, but I didn't really wake up, not in reality, I woke up in the dream, and I was back in the data core, and you rescuing me was all a dream and I'd just made it all up in my head, and that you weren't ever coming for me. Then it changed again, and I was with you, but you were with someone else, another woman, and you didn't want me anymore"

"Oh, River" He sighed, kissing her head gently. "You have every right to have nightmares now and again; after all you've been through. But you are so brave and you don't have to worry about any of that anymore. I love you so much and I will always protect you from anything that will come our way. And you are all I want for the rest of my life" He brushed away her stray curls and sighed, relieved that she had been brave enough to tell him. "And Jenny and Lily are safe; they're tucked up in bed, fast asleep, so you needn't worry about them. And I'm right here"

He tilted her head so she looked directly at him and he kissed her pale lips romantically, reassuring her of his love for her. She smiled faintly in response and let out a small contented sigh, shifting and resting her head on his chest, gripping his white pyjama top with her hands and letting them dance over his body lightly. She knew that she didn't have to always have her dominant persona when she was with him; she could breakdown and be frightened without having to worry about what he thought of her. She knew he'd always be there, and it made her feel instantly better when she knew that she could wake up and he'd be there beside her.

"Are you alright now?" He kissed her cheek gently.

"Yeah" River whispered, smiling slightly, but she suddenly looked at him cheekily, and he instantly saw the familiar flair that his wife had, flash before her eyes as she smirked. "You know..."

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me my darling" He grinned cheekily in response as her forefinger began running up and down his torso.

"Well, I think you should check me over" She breathed. "You know, just to...really, _really _make sure that I'm alright" Her breathing became shallower as she pictured what she had in mind, but she forced herself to snap back to reality.

"Oh really?" He smiled, a flirtatious smirk flickering on his lips as he raised his eyebrows.

"Really" She replied, the flirty edge to her voice was back again, and the Doctor couldn't help but get butterflies of excitement in the pit of his stomach. He wrapped his arm around her body and pulled her close as she crashed down onto his lips. As they pulled apart, River continued "Well, I'm here, present and awake, and so are you. So...why not?"

"I really, _really_ can't find a reason" The Doctor said with a breathy sigh as River rolled on top of him and their lips locked in a fiery game of passion.

**_Please review if you have a minute, you will make my day! I really need it right now :) xx_**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**


	20. Another Song?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok, so this is a filler chapter again with lots of River/Doctor fluffy moments because I realize there hasn't been a chapter which was mainly just them (although there is one coming up!) for a while, but this chapter also features the return of the Ponds and the topic of something which could come to be very important late ron in the fic *****hint hint* :) I hope you enjoy it, and PLEASE review it, I really need it right now xx**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER TWENTY: Another Song?**

River stirred in her bed, tugging at the covers so they bunched up around her, keeping in the warmth from the morning chill that hung in the air. Her eyes fluttered open and her golden curls lay astray on the crisp white pillows and sheets, and with the duvet snug around her body, all that was visible were her beautifully toned, bronzed arms and the top of her chest. River smiled lazily as she spread her body out across both hers and the Doctor's side of the bed. She heard the sound of water spraying powerfully out of the shower and then it seized suddenly, and she could hear the Doctor stepping clumsily out of the shower and tripping over something. River rolled her eyes and smiled into the air, then she heard the Doctor's bare feet padding their way across the marble floor. The Doctor poked his head round the door from their en-suite bathroom, checking to see if River was awake yet. He smiled warmly as River sat upright in the bed, her fluffy and light hair fell at her shoulders and the Doctor stepped away from the bathroom door and into the room.

"Oh what a shame" River sighed jokily.

"What?" He furrowed his brow as he made his way to the bed, picking her up out of it and swinging her round as she wrapped her strong legs tightly around his waist as he held her bare toned thighs and he kissed her deeply.

"Well I thought you might not have bothered with the towel" River chuckled as she looked in dismay at the small green towel which covered his bottom half.

"And I thought you might not have bothered with underwear, but it looks like we're both going to be disappointed" He smirked, as she dropped her feet to the floor.

River only wore a pair of incredibly tiny shorts, which scarcely covered her bottom half, and stopped at the top of her thighs, and she wore a lacy black bra which accentuated her cleavage and a loose crop top which left her toned stomach exposed. The Doctor let his hands trail from her shoulders down to her hips and River smiled and cupped his head in her hands and brought his lips to meet hers. Suddenly the metallic door slid open, the room flooded with light from the corridor and Amy appeared, dressed in tight fitted jeans, a navy blue top and a woollen cardigan. She smiled and leant on the doorway, not wanting to interrupt, but when their kissing carried on past a minute without either of them noticing her, she decided to cough loudly and the husband and wife turned abruptly to face her.

"Cut it out you too" Amy grinned, trying to avert her eyes from the Doctor's naked torso.

"Amy!" The Doctor muttered, trying to find something to cover himself up with.

"Hi mum, did you want something?" River asked, trying to conceal her giggling as the Doctor hurriedly pulled the duvet from the bed and wrapped it round him.

"Err..." Amy snorted at the Doctor and turned her attention to her daughter. "Um, yes, your breakfast is ready if you want to come and get it. Lily and Jenny have already had theirs and are playing in the games room"

"Ok, thanks, we'll be out in a minute" River smiled.

"Ok" Amy cooed and disappeared.

River turned to the Doctor, who looked like a cocooned penguin wrapped in the duvet, and when River began to laugh uncontrollably at him he dropped it to the floor. River snaked her arms around his bare chest and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Oh sweetie" River chuckled.

"What? Amy's my friend, she's _your_ mother! It's embarrassing! I'm half naked!" The Doctor's voice was high-pitched and squeaky.

"I know, but I'm sure she doesn't mind" River reassured him gently, trying to contain her amusement. "Now, I'm going to have a shower, are you coming?"

"I've already had one" He looked confused as River walked towards the bathroom, swinging her hips and glancing over her shoulder saucily at him.

"Oh ok, I suppose I'll have to shower by myself then" River said, entering the bathroom, pretending to be disheartened because she knew it would break him. The Doctor watched her for a moment, doubting whether he should join her or not, and then he grinned and trotted eagerly after her.

A little while later, River and the Doctor appeared in the kitchen, fully clothed, the Doctor in his usual attire and River in a pair of deep blue tight-fitting jeans paired with black patent platform heels and a black cotton top with bat wings. River pulled up a chair at the long dining table with a shiny black marble top which was laden with breakfast things. Amy and Rory sat opposite her, plates complete with full English breakfasts, and the Doctor began to make himself a cup of coffee. The Doctor and the Songs had returned to Leadworth to pick up the Ponds and had allowed them to stay with them on the TARDIS for a few days. The Doctor believed it was only fair for Amy and Rory to spend time with their daughter as they hadn't seen her since she went off to the library to die. They'd known the Doctor had saved her, brought her back to life, as he had returned to collect Melody's DNA and Lily had phoned them shortly after with the good news. The Doctor wanted to let them reconnect with their granddaughter whom he had deprived them from seeing for the five years River was in the data core. She had grown up so much, and the Doctor knew how much he had hurt Amy when he had departed with Lily all those years ago. But he also wanted to give them the chance to meet and learn about their new granddaughter, Jenny, whom they had only heard about through telephone conversations. Naturally, the Ponds had instantly hit it off with her and had treated her in the same way River had when she had first met her, by treating her as their own. But as nice as the time they'd spent together was, it had to end sometime because the Ponds had to return to Leadworth to care for Melody, whom they'd left behind in the care of one of their neighbours.

The Doctor took a seat at the table and River shifted from her chair to the Doctor's so she sat on his lap, her legs swept to the side, the bottom of her heels just about touching the ground and her arm thrown around his neck. She pecked him on the cheek and he blushed slightly, then she stroked his cheek gently, wiping away the lipstick print. Rory cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows as he swallowed a mouthful of crispy bacon.

"Really, you two, are you not going to spare us from public displays of affection at the breakfast table?" Rory laughed, gently shaking his head from side to side.

"Nope" River cooed, turning the Doctor's head to face hers and kissing him on his soft lips tenderly.

"What's wrong with you two today? Why are you in such a lovey-dovey mood?" Amy giggled.

"Ooh, I don't know" River smirked. "Can't a girl kiss her husband if she wants?"

"River, I'm trying to eat my breakfast" The Doctor whined, reaching forward for his fork but he couldn't quite grasp it. River rolled her eyes and removed herself, taking a seat on her own chair. The Doctor quickly began to shovel down mouthfuls of sausage and bacon, but not beans, because you know, beans are bad.

"River, I wanted to ask you something..." Amy began, her knife and fork clattering onto the empty plate.

"Hold on, is this _'something'_ the Doctor and I want to hear?" Rory swallowed a mouthful and looked sternly at his wife, and glanced hastily at the Doctor, who looked like a startled rabbit in headlights.

"That depends..." Amy smirked, getting up from the table and taking her plate over to the sink.

"Well, just to be on the safe side, I think I'll go and teach Rory about the TARDIS console, come along Pond" The Doctor grinned, leaping up from his seat and bounding out of the room, keen to avoid any awkward girly conversations, as a reluctant Rory – who hated learning about the TARDIS – followed him, and closed the kitchen door behind him.

River leaned forward on the table, a piece of toast crunching between her pearly white teeth. Amy placed the plate on the rack to dry and then turned back to River, taking a seat directly opposite her. She leant forward, her elbows supporting her and her chin resting in her hands.

"So..." Amy began, smiling innocently at River, who looked at her warily as she continued to eat her toast.

"So, what did you want to ask me?"

"Something which I wanted to ask you a long time ago, before Darillium, before the library, before all of that"

"Yes?"

"And, I know things have changed now, and you've got Jenny to think about too..."

"Yes..." She raised her eyebrows expectantly, pushing her to spit out whatever she was trying to ask.

"Well, I was wondering, are you and the Doctor planning on...how shall I put this...River, are you planning on getting pregnant again?" She mumbled, feeling a little awkward, but wanting to know the answer all the same.

"What?" River choked, the toast getting caught in her throat and she coughed violently before swallowing and staring at Amy with wide eyes.

"All I'm saying is, have you two thought about having another baby? You're excellent parents to Lily, and now Jenny too, and it's obvious you love each other and have a solid relationship, so why not have another child?" Amy smiled warmly, reaching out her hand across the table, and holding River's hand gently.

"Um, err...well, we haven't really discussed it. We haven't had much time. Before, we just about had enough time to have one child, and I honestly didn't think _that _was going to happen, and we were slowly drifting towards the time I would die in the library" She swallowed hard, just talking about the library made her stomach turn. "And it's only been about two weeks since he rescued me, so...we haven't really talked about it"

"But what do you think? Would you want another baby?" River looked a little startled, but Amy held her hand tightly, and reassured her. "Come on, you can tell me, it's just us"

"I...I don't..." She sighed. "Yes, I would _love_ another baby. So much. I'd try again in a heartbeat, but, I don't know how the Doctor would feel about it. We've already got two beautiful daughters, and I don't know how he'd feel about another child"  
>"I'm sure he'd be open to the idea, he's an excellent father – if slightly bonkers" She giggled.<p>

"Hmm, I don't know. Our life isn't exactly normal, and I don't know if bringing another child into the equation would make it too complicated..."

"Oh River, having another child is always going to make things more complicated!" Amy laughed, and River smiled faintly "But being a mother is amazing, I mean, you know that already! I think you _should_ have another baby. You obviously want one, you should just delicately mention it to the Doctor and see what he thinks, don't pressurize him, just let him know you'd be open to it"

"Open to what?" The Doctor cooed as he stepped into the room, standing behind where River was sitting and putting his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"Nothing" River grinned, winking at Amy and then she looked up and kissed him gently to stop him asking questions.

**...[LATER]...**

The Doctor clambered into his side of the big double bed he shared with River and snuggled himself close to River, resting his head on her chest. She kissed the top of his head and ran her fingers through his mop of fluffy brunette hair. He looked up at her and smiled cheekily, leaning up to kiss her nude-pink lips tenderly.

"Are Lily and Jenny in bed yet?" River asked, nuzzling her face into the Doctor's shoulder.

"Yeah, Jenny said she'd put Lily to bed for us, give us a break" He grinned.

River relaxed into the mattress and closed her eyes for a few moments. River pictured her mother and father standing outside their big house in Leadworth, her childhood home, as they had done earlier when they had dropped them off back home. The sun had been beating down on them as they had waved goodbye for what deep down they all knew would be a while before their next meeting, but none of them wanted to admit it. She remembered Lily and Jenny hugging their grandparents tightly and Amy kissing them all goodbye, and the small whirlpools of glistening tears that Amy had allowed to build up in her eyes. River could hear her father's voice half-heartedly warning the Doctor to look after _'his little girl'_. But she also remembered what her mother had been saying to her earlier in the day, about how she should casually mention the subject of having another child. As if he could read her thoughts – which he couldn't – the Doctor brought up a relevant topic.

"River..." The Doctor began, slotting his fingers into hers.

"Yes?" She replied as she rolled her head to face him and snapped her eyes open.

"What were you and Amy talking about earlier?" He looked hopeful, but River smirked and pressed a finger to his lips before kissing him and whispering "Spoilers"

"No, River, tell me...please" He whined, nuzzling his nose into her shoulder and peppering her arm, shoulder, collarbone and neck with kisses to try and tempt her to tell him.

"Ok, ok" She breathed, composing herself for the possible awkwardness that the Doctor was famous for, to seep into the conversation. "She was asking me...if we'd...well, if we'd thought about having another baby"

"Oh" He smiled, but began to look worried when she didn't return his smile. "Why did you feel you couldn't tell me that?"

"Because we haven't discussed it yet and I didn't want to pressure you or scare you" She sighed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close and she rested her head on his chest.

"Scare me? River you could never scare me when talking about the prospect of us having a baby. If you'd talked to be about babies a few years ago, then ok, maybe I would have been a little startled. But not now, I mean, we've got two daughters, my love!" He smiled and kissed her forehead tenderly. "So, do you what did you say when Amy asked you if you wanted another baby?"

"Um..." She swallowed the big lump that had formed in her throat.

"River? What did you say?" He asked sternly, but then he looked at her with his big puppy-dog eyes, a flicker of worry and desperation suspended on his face. "You _do want_ another baby don't you?"

"...Do you?" She looked into his big beautiful eyes and he stroked her hair gently, letting a smile grace his cheeks.

"Definitely" He whispered, and before he knew it, River had rolled on top of him and brought his lips to hers and she kissed him passionately, her eyes leaking small tears of joy. "River, you still haven't answered me, do you want another baby?"

"Yes, yes I do" She grinned, and resumed her position of lying next to him.

"So, should we start trying to have a baby then?" He smiled; not quite believing what words had just passed his lips.

"How about, instead of _trying _to have a baby, why don't we just stop trying _not_ to have one?" She smirked and raised her eyebrows, causing him to chuckle and pull her close, planting a tender kiss on her temple.

The Doctor ran his hand over River's bare stomach, his fingers tenderly feeling the softness of her soft, bronzed skin. He smiled into her wild curls as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, then he spoke in his deep, gentle voice.

"Who knows, there could be another little time-baby in there very soon" He smiled as he ran his hand repeatedly over her currently flat belly.

"Yes, but it could be a long time before I'm pregnant again" She replied, trying not to get too excited, although she was really.

"Still, whenever it happens, we're going to have another baby River" He grinned, laughing at the insane possibility that he never envisaged would happen.

"Yes we are"

**_PLEASE review it, reviews are amazing and mean so much, I really need it right now :)_**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wasn't sure about this chapter, I'm not sure if it's too domestic for Doctor Who, but I wanted to have a chapter which was them and them being happy and in love and also it will lead into future things which is why it is sort of a filler chapter :) But I hope you enjoyed it all the same. I am really stressed right now with real life things, but I love writing this fic so I will be trying to update it when I can, so please hang in there m'lovelies xx And I really can't explain how much your reviews and encouragement mean to me, so THANK YOU SO MUCH!**


	21. The greatest of gifts

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Heyy! This is sort of a filler chapter, because the events of this chapter lead up to what is coming next, but it's not really because it's part of the looming twists and turns. I hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry for the wait, real life takes over sometimes :( But anyway, please review, it means a lot! xx See the bottom of the page - after reading the chapter - for additional notes on this chapter. I didn't want to put it up at the top because of spoilers! x**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: The greatest of gifts**

River wandered through the lonely TARDIS corridors in search of her family. She swayed her hips as she walked, and the hem of her long, flowing black dress parting to reveal shiny patent, black platform heels. River looked stunning in the tight-fitting, strapless black dress which fell to her ankles. The dress was tight around her chest and was pulled in at her slim waist, with a thigh-high slit cut which exposed a slither of her soft sun-kissed skin. The thin material floated as she walked and River had accessorised the plain, yet effective dress, with a diamond necklace and her captivating green-blue eyes were enhanced with a small amount of black eye make-up that defined her beautiful eyes; her eyes sparkled with delight as she continued to make her way to the console room. Her wild, unruly, yet stunning, golden feathery curls fell at her shoulders and bounced a little as she walked. She did not care if she was a little over-dressed; it was her birthday why shouldn't she look her best? After all, the Doctor had promised her that he was going to take her on a trip, just the two of them for a little while, whilst Jenny cared for Lily in the TARDIS in their absence. Except there was a small problem, she couldn't find any of them. She'd woken and upon finding the Doctor's side of the bed empty she had got herself washed and dressed, ready for the adventure he had promised her the night before, and when she had departed the bedroom and entered the corridors in search of him, there was no sign of life anywhere.

As River approached the console room, the lights were off and the room was dimly lit, so River stumbled onto up the stairs, her arms instinctively reaching out to support her if she should fall flat on her face, which luckily she didn't. River called the Doctor's name through the darkness as she took small steps forward. Suddenly the lights clicked on and River was greeted with ruby red balloons suspended in the air, tied to different parts of the console and the railings. There was a hand-painted banner, a white background with big red letters, obviously painted by Lily, which was tied around the centre column of the TARDIS. Lily, Jenny and the Doctor jumped up from where they were hiding behind the console, yelling _'Surprise'_. River let a huge grin spread across her cheeks and after getting over the small shock, she let out a wave of laughter run through her and she moved towards her family. Lily ran towards her, and River enveloped her in her arms, kissing her blonde curls, before bending down to her level and kissing her cheek softly before holding her little hands in hers and squeezing them tightly, she looked up to the Doctor and Jenny who were smiling ecstatically.

"You did all this for me darling?" River gasped, Lily nodded and River was smiling as she hugged her little daughter tightly and stood up straight again. She began making her way towards Jenny and then hugged her tightly too. "Thank you my love"

"No trouble" Jenny laughed, as River released her from her embrace and she made her way towards Lily, putting her arm around her and squeezing her against her side tightly.

"And you..." River grinned cheekily, walking towards the Doctor and flinging her arms round his neck as his hands traced her slender silhouette. "I might have known you'd been planning something"

"But, you didn't, did you?" He asked with a worried tone to his voice.

"No, it was a lovely surprise sweetie" She let her hand wander behind his head as she brought his lips passionately to his.

"Happy birthday my love" The Doctor smiled, giving her one last quick kiss before they parted and he took her hand in his, lacing his fingers between hers. "Do you want to open some of your presents?"

"Of course!" She squealed in delight, her eyes wandering to the delicately wrapped parcels that were piled up on the floor. The he leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"I have a surprise for you afterwards. The trip I promised you" He smirked, flirtatiously.

"Ooh, I look forward to it" She said flirting back at him before leaning in as well and whispering in his ear. "And I might just have a little surprise for you too"

The Doctor furrowed his brow, but smiled and released River's hand and she moved towards the presents, with Lily and Jenny following her. The all knelt on the floor and River began to open a few of her gifts. Lily handed her mother a card that she had made for her with _'Happy Birthday, I love you mummy'_ written across the front with a little picture of River, Lily, Jenny and the Doctor in the centre of the page. River felt her heart melting and a glow of happiness running through her body as she accepted the card and squeezed her daughter tightly. River continued to open her presents, the present from Jenny, the present from Lily, the present they had all come together to give her, and then, she finally came to the final gift, the gift from the Doctor. River tugged at the blue ribbon that was tied around the petite box. River gasped as she gently pulled out the dainty silver charm bracelet, with miniature Gallifreyan symbols and charms dangling from it, that she had been admiring in the intergalactic market just a few weeks ago, when they had taken a trip there. She had admired it in the window of the store, and the Doctor had made a mental note of how much she had adored it and had decided it would be the perfect gift for her birthday. River fastened it on her wrist and leapt on top of the Doctor, crying out a huge thank you and kissing him tenderly as she stroked his cheek.

"Thank you my love, it's just what I wanted!" River cried, her arms locked around his neck as she gazed into his eyes lovingly.

"That's alright, and it's not over yet, I've still got that special trip planned" The Doctor beamed, quickly, but gently, pushing his wife away, no matter how much he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her all over. He ran to the console and began switching on leavers and pressing buttons as he set the TARDIS in motion and set the co-ordinates for their next destination.

**...[LATER]...**

The TARDIS break noise kicked in and the Doctor and River waved the TARDIS off as it vanished into thin air, carrying Lily and Jenny aloft. The timelord and his wife were left standing on the beautiful planet alone, with not another living soul in sight. Jenny and Lily had agreed with their parents that they could go to the intergalactic market whilst the Doctor gave River her birthday treat, and the girls would return for them about four hours later.

The Doctor watched River looking around the planet in wonder. The three orange suns shone brightly, emitting beams of warm light around them. The lake sparkled and the luscious green grass had a glorious fragrance that wafted up their nostrils. The Doctor gripped River's hand tightly, holding the wicker picnic basket in his other as he led her through a narrow opening in the trees and through an enclosed cobbled path through the overgrown trees and shrubbery until they reached a more open space, although it was still private and closed off from the rest of the planet. The extravagant greenery, trees and plant life surrounded them and next to them, the tranquil sound of the waterfall could be heard as powerful waves of tepid water were cascading over the rocky cliff-face and tumbling into the still pool of shimmering liquid below. As River stood by the edge of the pool, admiring the sight laid out before her, the Doctor took the blue and white checked blanket from the basket, shaking it out and placing it neatly on the squidgy emerald grass. He sat down on it, pulling out champagne glasses, a bottle of River's favourite champagne and picnic food from the basket and spreading them out on the blanket. The Doctor lay down and soon after River joined him, snuggling herself close to his and resting her hand and her head tenderly on his chest.

"So, where are we then sweetie?" River whispered, closing her eyes for a moment so she could hear the sound of the waterfall crashing against the rocks and the trees swaying in the warm breeze.

"The Lost Gardens of Starllosa" He smiled. "Completely abandoned, we're the only people here, an entire planet, River that no one knows about"

"How come you know about it then?" She smirked.

"I know everything" He grinned cheekily and she kissed his cheek gently.

"Not _quite _everything" River mumbled under her breath, smiling to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing" She replied hastily, then quickly changed the subject. "So, what have you got planned for us?"

"Nothing" He smirked and stroked her hair tenderly.

"Nothing?" She lifted her head from his chest and looked supported herself on the palm of her hands that were placed firmly either side of his shoulders.

"Yep" He grinned widely. "Just you and me, the gardens, and a picnic, but other than that, I've not planned anything! We can just relax and enjoy your birthday together"

"Prefect" River breathed as she leant down and kissed him romantically, but her hands gave way and her body crashed down on top of his and they both laughed contently as River's hands slipped around his torso and his hands laced around her figure, hugging her tightly as he brought her closer to him.

Later on, after the Doctor took a paddle in the pool, and the pair enjoyed some time exploring the depths of the gardens, they settled down together on the picnic mat. The Doctor reached for the ice bucket which contained the bottle of champagne. The he proceeded to take two glasses and pour them each a drink. The Doctor offered River a glass but she refused it and gently pushed it away.

"No thank you sweetie"

"It's your birthday, River, you should celebrate!" He grinned, attempting to hand her the glass once more.

"No, really sweetie please, it's a lovely gesture, but I don't want any" She smiled faintly, refusing the glass again.

"Are you sure?" He asked, obviously puzzled that she wasn't drinking to the extent she usually did. It was her favourite champagne and he'd bought it especially for her, yet she was refusing to have any and he couldn't quite understand why.

"I'm not drinking at the moment, sweetie" She sighed, avoiding eye contact with him, and busying herself with taking out the food from their packets and placing them on plates.

"Oh, why not?"

"Well...err, if we're trying to have a baby I thought it would be best not to"

"Oh, right, ok, no problem!" He smiled and tipped the contents of her rejected glass onto the grass, then took a sip of his own.

"Thank you love" She smiled and edged closer to him and let her fingers entwine with his. "This has been the best birthday I've ever had"

"Even better than the one where there was two of me?" The Doctor smirked, raising his eyebrows knowingly to match the flirtatious edge to his voice.

"Well, they were both brilliant for _very_ different reasons" River chuckled, flirting back as she remembered one of her previous birthdays.

"So, what's made this birthday so special then my love?" He grinned, pulling her into his arms as she relaxed into his body and he kissed the top of her wild curls.

"...Well, I discovered something this morning" River mumbled, thinking carefully about what she was going to say next.

"Oh yeah? What's that then?" The Doctor cooed, stroking his wife's hair tenderly.

"...Um, well, you know how you gave me the gift I wanted, the beautiful bracelet" She began, raising her arm that donned the charm bracelet and she twisted her arm so it rattled a little.

"Of course"  
>"Well, now it's time for me to give you yours" She muttered, moving into a sitting position and sitting back on her knees, facing him.<p>

"But, River it's not my birthday" The Doctor frowned, reaching out and holding her hand.  
>"No, but it's a gift that I wanted too. The <em>greatest<em> gift, the one we both wanted more than anything..." She said gently, waiting for him to catch her drift.  
>"...You mean?" He gasped, letting his mouth fall open and a hopeful smile to grace his lips "River, you're not...?"<br>"I am..." She grinned, biting down on her bottom lip nervously as she waited for the Doctor to respond properly. When he looked into her eyes lovingly, gripping her hand to steady himself, bracing himself for her to give him the news he was yearning for "Doctor, I'm pregnant"

The Doctor gasped in delight and his beautiful brown eyes were glazed over with happiness and a few tears escaped his eyes and ran down his cheeks as he pulled River into him tightly, her chin perched on his shoulder and his hand clasped firmly around her slender body and his hand buried in her golden curls as he kissed her forehead. He pulled apart from his wife and let his right hand rest tenderly on her cheek as his left hand wandered to her belly.

"You're pregnant? Really? Oh River, we're having another baby" He gasped, letting his eyes roam over her stomach.

"Yes we are my love" She smiled, resting her hand on top of his as it traced over the miniscule curve of her pregnancy bump.

The Doctor looked at River's stomach. He looked _really _carefully. He hadn't noticed a difference, which was surprising as he normally noticed every tiny detail of everything he encountered, but he hadn't noticed any change in River's body. But now that he _knew_ she was carrying their little baby, when he looked at her belly, he could see a slight curve that he hadn't noticed before. Suddenly he took her in his arms and laid her down in his lap, his arm supportively around her neck as he leant down and kissed her deeply, running his hand over her stomach. River let out a roar of blissful laughter and it suddenly became infectious as the Doctor laughed with her.

"You found out on your birthday that you're having a baby, I don't think there is a better gift than that" He smiled blissfully.

**Please review if you have a minute, it will make me so happy! **

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yep, she's pregnant again. But there will still be twists and turns coming! I have lots of ideas! This time I'm going to do the whole 9 months pregnancy thing, in more detail than with her pregnancy with Lily when I just skipped the pregnancy. I'm going to do it properly this time, which means lots more chapters! Yay! x**


	22. It feels like jealousy

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm so so so so sorry I haven't updated in AGES! Life got in the fucking way again! It's so annoying, I'd much rather be doing fanfiction writing than being at school. So please hang in there and just know that there is more coming if I haven't updated in a while! But I will try SO hard to get the next chapter up quicker this time! And this chapter is quite long to make up for it! On another note, this chapter is a little ****different as it's not what you expect and shows a different side to their relationship, but bear with me, all will become clear. I was listening to the Will Young song "jealousy" earlier today and it inspired me. So, here you go!**

**OH! And also, I met Eve Myles and Arthur Darvill (Caitlin Blackwood, Ian Mcniece, Nina Toussaint-White and Albert Welling too) yesterday! Who were all amazing and so nice! And also, "The Wedding of River Song" was AMAZING! And *spoilers ahead* it makes this story completely AU, but although in the show and this fic they are married, they get married in different ways, so this story is still AU. But, River & Doctor are married! So that's AMAZING! YAY! *Squeals* And you may find some familiar lines in this chapter...**

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: It feels like jealousy**

It was unmistakable. It was her. There was River. There was River, having dinner with another man. The Doctor wouldn't usually jump to conclusions in the way he had tonight, but as he sat in a booth in the middle of the busy alien restaurant watching his beautiful wife cosy up to another man, he had experienced something, a new human emotion, that could only be described as sheer jealousy. River had lied to him. She'd told him she was going to a reunion, just a little archaeology thing, nothing very exciting. But there she sat, holding this man's hand from across the little glass table that separated them, smiling and laughing and gazing into his eyes. Any onlooker would assume they were a couple in the way they were carrying on, then suddenly a thought passed through the Doctor's mind – what if they _were_ a couple? _No, surely not._ _No, not after everything we've been through, she wouldn't, _the Doctor thought, reassuring himself. But he couldn't be sure. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, just because he saw her having dinner with someone of the male gender, it didn't automatically mean she was cheating on him or that they were participating in some sordid affair behind his back. But, he just couldn't be sure.

At first he'd tried to reassure himself that it wasn't what he thought it was. That it was in no way how it seemed. He'd even tried to believe that it wasn't River; it was just someone who looked like her. But, alas, it was definitely her. Her beautiful golden hair was done in the same way it had been done at the crash of the Byzantium and she wore a very short, tight black body-con dress, which was really just a precautionary cover-up underneath her nude-pink short at the front and long in the back mullet-dress. The light, flowing material of the train was draped around the table where River and the man sat. River wore matching, patent dusty pink platforms and beautiful, dainty gold jewellery and dangly earrings. Her eyes sparkled under the lights and he admired her slender figure from afar. The Doctor knew that spying on her was probably bordering on stalking, but he continued to watch her anyway. Suddenly he noticed that, although she was holding the man's hand with her right hand, her left arm was draped over her stomach. This made him feel even worse. The fact that she was pregnant with his child was just adding to the situation, and he didn't even want to consider the slim possibility that the child might not even be his. Tears sparkled in the Doctor's eyes and he hastily rubbed his eyes before they fell down his cheeks. Anger and hurt was burning in the Doctor's eyes and with one last glance back at the woman he loved, the Doctor subtly got up from his seat and made his way down the winding corridors to where the TARDIS was parked, before setting the engines into motion and materialising in deep space a few minutes later. River had her vortex manipulator so she could return to the TARDIS whenever she wished, but that didn't bother the Doctor, he just wandered around the TARDIS console, flicking switches and pressing buttons lazily before flopping down onto the sofa and finally allowing the painful tears release from where he had been containing them all night.

**...[LATER]...**

About an hour later, a sharp white light appeared by the door in the console room, revealing River. She smiled into the air and straightened herself out before walking up the small flight of stairs and towards the console, but she was stopped in her tracks and released a small shocked gasp when she realised she wasn't alone. The Doctor, who had been sleeping on the console room sofa, instantly sat up. River could immediately see that he wasn't ok, his eyes were red and sore, making it obvious that he had been crying. She frowned and moved towards him, sitting down next to him and reaching out to stroke his hair, but he flinched and she looked at him with wide eyes, failing to understand what was wrong.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" She whispered.

"Where have you been?" He asked snapped, avoiding eye contact with her.

"At the archaeology thing...I told you"

"No you weren't" He snarled, pouncing to his feet and turning to face her. Strangely, for the first time ever, she felt intimidated by him. He was scaring her, simply because the anger and hurt that he was experiencing was so plain to see.

"Sorry?"

"You were _not_ where you said you were! And _don't_ try and lie your way out of this, I saw you!" He swallowed hard as he began to cry. "I saw you, having dinner with that man"

"Oh, my love" She stood up and moved closer to him, attempting to hug him but he moved away from her, leaving her standing bewildered. "Is that what all this is about?"

"Who is he?" He snapped.

"He's my ex-boyfriend, you know, the Nestine duplicate with the swappable head that I told you about" She sighed. "I was just having a catch-up dinner with him! He's my friend and I haven't seen him in years"

"So why lie to me? Why tell me you were going to an archaeology reunion?" He screeched.

"He called me up because he wanted to know the details of one of my previous archaeological digs. He's an archaeologist too. Technically, it _was_ an archaeology thing, and it _was_ a reunion, as I haven't seen him since university"

"Why not just tell me you were having dinner with a friend? Unless it was something more...?" He shouted, but reduced his voice to no less than a whisper when he said the last sentence.

"What?" She hissed, advancing menacingly on him. "You think I'm having an affair? You do, don't you! Oh my god..."

"Well...are you?" He muttered, avoiding her frosty stare.

"NO! No of course not!" She bellowed, slapping him round the face. "How dare you ask me that?"

"Well I don't know! It all looked very...cosy" He yelled, flapping his arms around.

Suddenly, in a fit of rage, River reached for her gun and took a shot at the Doctor, not meaning to kill him, but to scare him. The Doctor ducked quickly, his arms covering his head for protection as the bullet exploded into the air with a silvery light. The Doctor stood up straight again, glaring River in the face.

"What was that for?" He shrieked, advancing on her and taking the gun from her.

"Don't you _ever, ever,_ accuse me of having an affair" River snapped.

"Alright. Alright..." He took a deep breath and began to pace his way around the console. "Let's just calm down"  
>"Calm down? CALM DOWN?" River shrieked. "You <em>just<em> accused me of cheating on you!"

"I saw you, River. I saw you with him. You lied to me for no apparent reason and then went to a romantic dinner with another man. You were holding his hand, flirting with him, gazing into his eyes. I know what I saw. Please, just understand where I'm coming from. Don't play games with me. If you don't want me anymore, if I'm not good enough for you just tell me" He mumbled, a look of sorrow and desperation glistening in his eyes.

"It's not what you think...hang on. How did you know that I was having dinner? You couldn't have known that unless you followed me! YOU FOLLOWED ME?" River shrieked, and angry tears began to cloud her vision. "You don't trust me!"

"I do trust you!" He whined. "I do, River, really, I do. And I'm sorry I followed you, I know it was wrong, but I wanted to make sure you were ok - what with the baby and everything – and I just wanted to be certain you were going to be alright. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" He pleaded, walking towards her and attempting to take her hands, but she wouldn't let him.

"Get away from me" She snapped. "How _dare you_ even think for _one second_ that I would _ever _cheat on you. And how dare you think you have the right to accuse me of having an affair"

"I am _so_ sorry, River"

"You should be" She muttered as she roughly wiped away a few stray tears.

"I shouldn't have accused you. I shouldn't have followed you. I should have trusted you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. Please, believe me; I just wanted to be certain you, and our baby, were fine. I wish I could take back everything I said, I was hurting and I wasn't thinking straight. I wish I hadn't said it now. I wish I'd never followed you. I'm sorry for caring about your safety" He put his head in his hands, defeated and distraught.

He didn't want to lose her over silly accusations and his jealously. He wasn't even entirely sure what had just happened, it all happened so quick and his head was spinning from the argument. River looked really hurt, and he knew he should not have said what he had. He didn't mean it in that way, he wasn't intending to spy on her and follow her, and he had genuinely wanted to make sure she was alright. But River was so upset and angry now, and the pain of his harsh words and accusations was written all over her face. She shook her head from side to side gently and looked him right in the eyes, connecting with him and showing him how she was hurting and making it obvious that he was the one who had done it.

"I'm going to put Lily to bed. Then I'm going to go to bed myself, and try and sleep off some of your outrageous accusations. And don't you dare think you're sleeping in the same bed as me tonight" She sighed, waggling her index finger at him before turning sharply on her heels and disappearing down the corridor to Lily's bedroom.

The Doctor exhaled shakily and slapped his forehead before clasping his hands over his eyes and shaking his head. He didn't want to believe he had just fallen out with River. Not after everything they had been through, for him to make those ridiculous allegations against her was absurd. He was completely regretting everything he had said. And he was desperately racking his brains to think of a way to make it up to her. He loved her so much, and after everything that had happened to them, he promised himself he would be with her forever and he wasn't going to lose her again. He loved her more than anything in the universe – well, apart from his children – and he hadn't intended to hurt her, he never, ever wanted to hurt her. But he was still caught up in the moment and couldn't think of a way to make it up to her just now, so he began to wander into the depths of the TARDIS to their bedroom so he could get pillows and a duvet to make a bed on the console room sofa, as River had kicked him out of their bedroom. He paused in the hallway as River quietly slipped out of Lily's room, closing the door gently behind her. She looked miserable as she looked to the Doctor.

"She's asleep. I read her a bedtime story and she dozed off" River muttered, avoiding his loving gaze that she couldn't resist. She couldn't look at him or be with him, or she'd end up forgiving him, and he needed to know that what he did was wrong and inexcusable.

"Oh, which story?" He smiled warmly.

"The Emperor Dalek's new clothes" She smiled weakly.

"Oh, she loves that one" He chuckled quietly.

"I'm going to bed" Her face fell, and so did his. It was just awkward now. River couldn't bare it anymore, she was tired and upset and she didn't want to see him because it reminded her of what he'd said. She just turned slowly and padded her way to her room, leaving the Doctor standing alone in the still corridor.

He was about to make his way back to the control room, when he remembered he _still _hadn't got his bedding from the bedroom, so he would have to go and get it. He carefully, paced his way to the room, quickly and quietly. He tapped timidly on the door, in case she got angry again and bit his head off. But he got no reply, so he slowly pushed the door open and slid inside. The room was dark, but the bedside lamp was switched on, emitting a warm yellow glow in the corner of the room. The Doctor could see River's silhouette curled up on the bed, her knees tugged up to her chin and her arms locked around them, her face buried in her knees. He couldn't see very well, but he could hear muffled sobbing, so he knew she was crying, and regardless of the argument and what River had said about him leaving her alone, he proceeded to go to her side and sat down on the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around her back and nuzzling his face deep into her shoulder before planting a gentle kiss. He was fairly surprised that she didn't shrug him off and throw him out of the room. But she didn't welcome him either. She was still shutting him out, and she didn't move as she continued to weep. Then, a few minutes later, she lifted her head and looked to him, her mascara escaping down her cheeks and her eyes glistening with sadness. Suddenly, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed his lips quickly and tenderly.

"I don't want to fall out with you. But you hurt me with your accusations" She whispered, her voice fragile and timid.

"I'm so sorry River. I was honestly just checking to see you were alright, and then I was going to leave you to get on with your evening. But, then I saw you with him, having dinner and being all cosy and flirty, and I was jealous and it made me feel strange, and I got the wrong idea" He moved so his forehead was pressed against hers and her hands were clasped at his neck as he held her cheeks supportively. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it back. I didn't mean to hurt you. And, I understand if you don't want to stay with me anymore" He muttered, his voice cracking as he held her tightly.

"Don't be stupid, of course I want to be with you" She breathed, kissing his nose. "I want to be with you, and only you. Always"

"Can you forgive me?" He pleaded quietly.

"Always. You are always and completely forgiven, my love" She pulled his lips to hers and kissed him tenderly as he held her cheeks gently and stroked them subconsciously with his thumbs.

"I love you so much; I'm sorry for overreacting, I just don't want to lose you." He murmured, his face centimetres away from hers.

"I understand. It's alright. I should have told you the truth and explained it properly to start with and it wouldn't have happened" She whispered. "I love you so much. I'm sorry"

The something unusual happened. River began to talk about her love for him, but the words sounded familiar and like they were etched out in his heart. They meant something and he knew they did. He felt every word. And then he knew what she was saying. _Her wedding vows._ She stood up and took his hand, leading him into a space in the room. She held his hands tightly, as she proceeded.

"I'd pull time apart for you. I'd jeopardise the universe for your safety. I am unconditionally in love with you. I am irrevocably in love with you. I will always love you, no matter what. All we've been through, and all we will go through, I'll always be here, right beside you. It's you. And it's always been you. The Doctor and River Song, falling through time and space" She smiled, and he gripped her hand and then he replied with his vows.

"I will always come when you call. I'm always here when you need me, and when you don't and I will always catch you when you fall. River Song, you're the woman who stole my hearts. You're the woman who makes them work overtime. You're the woman who married me. And I will not stop loving you, simply because I can't"

River wrapped her strong, toned legs around his waist and he held her tightly and securely in his arms as she clasped his torso. He moved to kiss her passionately and lovingly and she opened her mouth to him. Her feet dropped back to the floor again after a few minutes, and River rested her hands on his chest and he laced his around her slim waist. They hadn't needed to repeat their wedding vows, but it had seemed appropriate as a make-up strategy after their first fight in seven years. They whispered sorry to each other about a hundred more times and finally they moved back over to the bed and River slipped under the covers, ready to fall asleep next to the man she loved and the Doctor pulled the duvet up around her and kissed her forehead and her temple gently before moving away to his side of the bed, and climbing in. The Doctor threw his jacket to the floor and kicked off his shoes and socks, but he kept his trousers, shirt and bowtie on as he couldn't be bothered to get changed, all he wanted to do was be with River. He was greeted with warmth as he lay and snuggled himself close to her and she rested her head on his chest.

"From now on, no more fights. We need to concentrate on our daughters and this baby here" He traced his fingers over her stomach and she smiled at the tingling sensation his sensitive touch was giving her. "We need to focus on our family. Ok?"

"Yes. We need to start focussing on the pregnancy rather than arguing" She smiled and move her head to peck his cheek.

"How far along are you River? You never actually told me when our baby was conceived, just that you were pregnant"

"Oh, um, well, I found out I was pregnant on my birthday, which was three weeks ago. And I think I was about three weeks pregnant when I found out. So I'm about six weeks pregnant"

"Ok, that's great" He smiled. "You're doing so well. When shall we tell Amy and Rory?"

"Not yet. I don't want to tell them just yet, in case, you know, anything goes wrong. I don't want to disappoint them"  
>"But we told the girls" He frowned.<p>

"I know, but it's alright for them to know. They would have figured it out anyway. And I told them not to tell their grandparents just yet. So it'll be fine"

"Ok. And what about scans and things, do we need to do those yet?" He asked quietly, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Sorry, I don't know much about pregnancy, which is really bad considering we already have a daughter"

River laughed and moved closer to him, nuzzling her nose into his shoulder as he rested his hand with hers on her stomach.

"It's alright. You'll learn. And no, we don't need a scan just yet, but in about two weeks or so, we can go for an early scan, which might be a good idea seeing as I had trouble with my first pregnancy. But we can wait until I'm at least ten weeks along" She explained.

"I'll give Jack a call tomorrow and arrange something" He grinned, kissing her unruly blonde curls.

The Doctor knew that he couldn't take River for granted and assume that she'd always be there with him, because one day she may not be. But they were happy and they were having another baby. They had far too much to focus on for the next nine months to be arguing over silly accusations lead by jealousy. They had far more important things to worry about. And they both agreed that from that day on, family was going to come before everything else.

**Please review, it means so much, makes my day and makes me jump up and down like a loon! x**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am going to start the pregnancy stuff now :) And I am going to date her pregnancy at the to of each chapter so you know how far along she is. **


	23. Mum's the word

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for not updating recently again! I barely have any time lately and I'm just stressing over things, so this chapter has been a long time in the drafts, but finally I finished it. It's more of a filler one, as I have planned the next couple of chapters and there is more exciting stuff coming up, and this is more of a domestic chapter again. So hopefully that's alright. Please review, it means so much and is basically the only thing keeping me going right now! I am so grateful for ALL of your reviews, and all of you who read this fic, and my other fics, add it to favourites or alerts, it means the world! And I know I don't say thank you enough, but hopefully you know that I appreciate everything! :D **

**DISCLAIMER:_ Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic, and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!_**

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Mum's the word**

_(7 Weeks Pregnant) _

River diligently washed up some mugs and plates at the kitchen sink as Lily sat at one end of the long dining table drawing pictures of the TARDIS and the stars and their family. Lily stood up from the table, the chair scraping across the floor, and she picked up her drawing and advanced to River, tugging lightly at the sleeve of her TARDIS blue cardigan, until she finished working on the cup she was washing and turned round to face her daughter. River bent down to her level and glanced at the drawing her little girl was clutching tightly.

"Look mummy" Lily smiled, showing River the drawing, which she took from her and grinned happily as she admired it carefully.

"That's beautiful sweetheart" River smiled as she kissed her daughter softly on her temple.

The drawing was of the Doctor and herself, standing hand in hand in the middle of the picture, the Doctor drawn wearing a bowtie and, much to River's displeasure, a red fez. Drawn either side of them where Lily and Jenny, and the TARDIS was drawn to the side of the picture. Suddenly River noticed a fifth person in the drawing and pointed to it with her index finger, frowning slightly. "Who's this?"

"The new baby" A faint smile flickered across Lily's lips as she took the picture from her mother and placed it on the table.

"Oh, aw, my love, come here" She opened her arms and Lily stepped into her embrace, and River hugged her so tightly, kissing her wild curls and stroking them gently. "That was sweet of you to include the baby"

Suddenly the kitchen door creaked open and the Doctor entered the room, followed by Jenny. He had been giving her flying lessons recently, teaching her how to pilot the TARDIS as she was the only one in their family who couldn't yet fly the TARDIS expertly.

"That final bend round Mars was perfect and you know it was!" Jenny roared, laughing to her father as she sat down to eat her breakfast that River had laid out for both of them.

"Ok, ok, you're right, it was, but I'm sure the TARDIS was helping you" He smiled, sitting down opposite her and beginning into tuck into his cereal. Lily came over and shuffled onto his lap, swinging her legs as her feet didn't touch the ground. "Good morning" He smiled to his youngest daughter.

"Oh, that's lovely. No good morning for me then!" River replied sarcastically, and the Doctor smiled and twisted his head to his wife as she approached him and he kissed her tenderly.

"Good morning River" He said seriously.

"Good morning Doctor" She replied, patting his cheek and moving back towards the sink.

Lily handed her drawing to the Doctor who took it and grinned as he admired his daughter's artistic skills.

"Oh wow! Lily that's brilliant! The coolest family in the universe! Oh, and I've got a fez! See, River, Lily thinks I should have a fez!" He grinned excitedly, and he heard River tutting in response as she continued to wash the dishes. "Where are Amy and Rory?"

"I'm not finished drawing yet" Lily smiled, moving from his lap into the chair next to him and continuing to draw her family, using a bright red crayon for her grandmother's hair.

"Ah" He smiled, and stroked her hair, before continuing to eat his breakfast.

Suddenly there was and almighty crash and Lily, Jenny and the Doctor all turned to face River, who had allowed a plate to slip out of her hand and smash into the sink with an enormous clatter. She had her hands resting on either side of the sink, her head hung as she breathed deeply.

"Mu...River what happened?" Jenny asked, correcting herself as she looked worryingly over from the table.

"River, are you alright?" The Doctor frowned, trying to catch a glimpse of his wife's face, which he couldn't see as she had her back turned to him.

Rich scarlet blood began to ooze out of River's index finger from where a fragment of the smashed plate had hit her, and suddenly she snapped and turned round to face them.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. For God's sake, I just dropped a plate it's not the end of the universe!" She snarled as she held a tissue tightly around her injured finger and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door violently behind her.

The Doctor looked to his daughters, a glimmer of worry suspended on his face, and then he swiftly pushed his breakfast aside and stood up, wandering towards the door and whispering to Jenny before he left.

"Stay here with Lily; I'm going to check on River. Something's definitely not right with her" Jenny nodded in response and moved towards her sister, helping her with her drawing, and the Doctor disappeared into the depths of the TARDIS in search of his wife.

Eventually, after about forty-five minutes of searching – as the TARDIS had moved all the rooms around as she was in a playful mood, and it took him that long to locate which room was where and which one she was actually in – he eventually found her bent over the sink in the sick bay throwing up into the sink. He quickly advanced to her side and rested his hand on her back, helping her as she finished, then she took a few moments to recuperate herself back to normal and then she took a few deep breaths and stood upright, shrugging the Doctor's hand off her and stepping away from him, her eyes shooting him such a piercing look that it was almost like she was hurtling imaginary daggers at him.

"River, are you ok?" He asked gently, ignoring the obvious fact that she didn't want to be around him right now, and moving towards her, trying to hug her.

"Yes" She hissed, stepping back out of his reach and glaring at him again, before turning her back on him and facing the mirror and the sink again.

"River..." He began, his tone turning deep and serious. "What is wrong with you? You are obviously not alright, yet you were about half an hour ago. What's changed? You dropped a plate, alright, but it's not like you, normally you would laugh or joke about something like that, yet you snapped at us, you won't let me help you, and now you're being sick? What is wrong with you? Please my love, please just let me help you" He reached out his hand to let his fingertips brush hers, and this time she didn't flinch and push him away. He hooked his fingers under hers and pulled her round to face him, kissing her hand tenderly before placing her hand over his shoulder and pulling her into a tight embrace with his arms locked around her. He kissed her cheek gently and she buried her face into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry" She whispered, her voice scarcely audible.

"It's alright. But, please tell me what's wrong" He asked as he released her and looked her directly in the eyes, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

"It's just morning sickness I think" She muttered. "Nothing unusual, I started getting it on Monday, but I'm getting it in the morning and the evening too. I'm finding it hard to sleep, because I'm feeling ill all the time, so I'm getting agitated at the slightest things because I'm sleep deprived, and I haven't been eating properly because everything I eat or drink makes me want to throw up. I've been practically living on water for at least two days"

"I know, I know" He replied sympathetically "But you've got a check-up at the Torchwood Hub with Jack, Gwen and the rest of the team, next week, and they'll be able to suggest some things to help you. Ok? And I'm here, all the time, night and day, right here, whenever you need me River"

"Ok" She exhaled and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "Just let me get myself sorted out, and I'll come back out to the kitchen afterwards, you go ahead. I'll be fine"

"Alright, see you a minute" He replied, leaning forward and pecking her cheek before pivoting and turning to leave.

Just as he reached the door, the Doctor heard a thump which sounded like flesh hitting the marble floor. He spun round instantly, to see he was in fact right. It _was _flesh hitting the cold, hard floor. It was River. She had collapsed and now lay out cold on the floor. The Doctor rushed to her side and scooped her up in his arms, protecting her head, and kissing it gently, whispering her name through her forest of golden curls. He knelt down on the floor, cradling her body and lifting her carefully onto his lap, protecting her head with his arm and tracing his hand over her stomach gently.

"River...River, come on wake up" He whispered soothingly to his unconscious wife. "Come on, you're going to be alright, I promise"

He attempted to lift her, but he was wary not to harm her, so he left her where she was – safe in his arms – and he began to call out to his daughter from his position on the floor.

"JENNY, JENNY! I NEED YOUR HELP!" He bellowed, and kept calling out her name, until Jenny finally appeared in the sick bay. The door creaked open and Jenny appeared, looking confused as to why her father was shrieking her name through the TARDIS corridors.

"Dad, what's wrong? Why are you shouting..." She trailed off as she entered the room and saw River lying unconscious in her father's arms. "Oh my god, dad what happened?" She asked hurriedly as she rushed to his side.

"I...I don't know, she...she just collapsed" He stammered, with tears brimming in his eyes. "Please Jenny, we have to help her. We need to move her and get her to a more comfortable place. She's pregnant, she's pregnant..." He muttered, mainly to himself "And the last time this happened, we thought...we thought she'd lost..." He swallowed hard "Sorry. It doesn't matter; we need to move her, carefully though, we don't want to hurt her"

**...[LATER]...**

River's eyes fluttered open and she was greeted by her husband's worried face suddenly flooding with relief as he saw that she was alright. The Doctor was leaning over River as he perched by her side on the cream coloured leather sofa in the TARDIS living room. Jenny and the Doctor had carried her there less than two hours earlier and the Doctor had waited by her side all this time to make sure she woke up and was alright. He leant down and kissed her eyelids closed, before moving upwards and placing one tender kiss on her forehead. She opened her mouth to speak but he shushed her, placing his index finger on her soft, luscious lips and gently brushed away some of her stray curls.

"Sweetie..." She croaked, raising her hand and running her fingers through his mop of thick brunette hair.

"Shh, my love. Don't talk. Save your energy" He leant down and kissed her softly, pulling apart from her and lingering close to her face, before leaning back again and beginning to stroke her cheek tenderly.

"What happened?" She whispered, letting her eyes drift close and then letting them flutter open again as she relaxed into the sofa.

"You collapsed" He muttered "You scared the life out of me, River. I thought...I...I don't want you to know what I thought might have happened to you, or our baby..." He placed his hand on her stomach.

"Oh sweetheart" She sighed, then her face froze as her body tensed up instantly. "Oh my god, the baby! Is the baby alright? Doctor, what if..."

"Shh, River calm down" He held her hand tightly in his. "I scanned you after you collapsed, you're fine, and so is our baby. It's alright you needn't worry" He smiled warmly and she relaxed again and he kissed her knuckles.

"How long have you been sat there?" She questioned, lifting her head, but he pushed her back down again, forcing her to relax and regain her strength.

"About two hours. As long as you were unconscious for really" He murmured, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.

"Oh darling, I'm sure that watching people sleep is classed as stalking" She laughed, cupping his cheeks in her hands and bringing his lips to hers.

"Ah, I see you're feeling better" He grinned cheekily.

"Much"

River shifted and lifted her head so her husband could sit on the sofa and she rested her head on his lap as he began to stroke her hair. He buried his face in her curls and kissed her head. She moaned quietly and began to chuckle blissfully.

"Ugh" She groaned, closing her eyes for a brief second.

"What's wrong?" He murmured, his lips brushing softly against her hair.

"Oh, nothing, I just still feel a bit sick"

"Do you want me to rub your belly for you?" He smirked, raising his eyebrows and she chuckled blissfully as he moved his hands down to her stomach and began to rub it gently in a circular motion, careful not to churn her stomach even more though. "Is that helping?"

"Much better" She grinned and relaxed into him even more, taking a few deep breaths and exhaling them contently.

"You know..." He began as he sat back and continued to stroke her soft, luxurious coiled mane "I was watching Jenny earlier, and I noticed just how much she cares for you. I mean, I knew she always regarded you as the mother figure in her life, ever since the day she met you. But today, when you dropped the plate in the sink and she called out to you, she had to stop and correct herself from calling you..._mum_"

"What?" River whispered, her eyes snapping open and looking directly at her husband.

"Didn't you hear her? She started to call you mum, and then she stopped and called you River. And when you collapsed and I called for her help, she rushed to your side to check you were alright. River, she cares for you so much, she sees you as her mother. So, I was thinking...you should reassure her that it's alright for her to call you 'mum'. That is, if it _is_ alright?"

"Of course! As far as I'm concerned she's my daughter. And she should call me mum if that's what she wants" She smiled.

"Then perhaps you should tell her that"

"Alright, I will" She lifted her head and her body and tried to get up.

"No, River, right now you need to rest!" He protested, placing his hand on her shoulder and pulling her back down.

"No, sweetie, I want to deal with this"  
>"Fine, but you're not going anywhere. I'll call her to come in here" The Doctor replied to his wife, who huffed and unwillingly relaxed again. Then he began to call for his eldest daughter, who promptly appeared at the door with a mug of tea in her hand.<p>

"This is for you" She smiled, handing the mug to River, who sat up and sipped the tea carefully, savouring the taste in her mouth.

"Thank you sweetheart" She croaked, smiling at her and shifting along the sofa so she was squashed against the Doctor and Jenny could take a seat on the end.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked sensitively, resting her head on River's shoulder.

"Much better, thank you" River grinned, taking Jenny's hand and squeezing it tight.

"Actually Jenny, River wanted to talk to you about something" The Doctor smiled warmly at his wife, who was looking a little nervous now.

"Oh right, yes, um, Jenny, you've been in our family for a couple of months now, and I told you how I see you as my daughter..." She began.

"Yes, and I'm so grateful for that" She grinned.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you are my daughter, but...am I your mother?" She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and gripped Jenny's hand tighter as Jenny gasped in response.

"Of course you're my mother!" She nestled closer to her and River kissed her temple softly.

"Well then, we were wondering..." She began, glancing nervously to the Doctor, who raised his eyebrows and urged her to carry on. "...would you like to call me mum, instead of River?" She asked nervously, nibbling on her bottom lip before hastily adding "Of course, if you don't want to, you don't have to, it's just I was just..."  
>"Mum..." Jenny cut in, and River relaxed into a broad smile "...stop rambling"<p>

River laughed happily and put her arm around her daughter's shoulder, pulling her into a hug. The Doctor put his arm around his wife's shoulder and they engaged in a little light conversation. Suddenly Lily came running into the room and jumped up onto the sofa, making herself comfortable on her mother's lap and locking her arms around her neck. The family laughed happily, everyone wearing smiles on their faces. The Doctor watched his beautiful wife and children, and couldn't help but smile and be proud and grateful for what he had, and knowing he had another baby on the way, it filled him with a warm and blissful feeling. For once in a very long time, he was part of something so amazing, yet so simple and he enjoyed having that little piece of normality in his crazy, time-travelling lifestyle which he had lived in his own for so long.

**Please review if you have a moment :) **

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE: Apologies if this chapter is awful, I haven't had much time to concentrate fully on this, and I wanted to do a little thing about River's pregnancy side effects and her relationship with Jenny. I also realised that I've been overshadowing their children in basically every chapter, so I just wanted to show them being parents. But I have other things, hopefully more exciting things, planned and coming up soon, so hopefully you can bear with me for a while and not lose interest in this fic :)**


	24. Reunions and Revelations

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Ok, this is where I feel the need to explain some things, so after reading this chapter (not before, don't spoil it for yourself) read the information at the bottom that I have taken time to write out, just in case anyone was a bit confused. But basically this features the return of some well-loved characters, and is unintentionally quite long, so please enjoy, and R&R. x**

**DISCLAIMER:**_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes! **_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Reunions and Revelations**

_(11 Weeks Pregnant) _

"Hi honey I'm home" The Doctor joked as he stepped jauntily out of the TARDIS doors with his arms open wide.

"And what sort of time do you call this?" Came the reply, and Jack advanced towards the Doctor and they shared a manly hug as the Doctor patted his old friend on the back. "Doc!"

"Good to see you Jack" He smiled.

"It's been a while, haven't seen you since the wedding" Jack exclaimed. "How's married life treating you, Doctor?"

"All good! Not a bad word to say about my wife" The Doctor grinned back ecstatically.

The Doctor sharply surveyed his surroundings. He knew he was in Cardiff, inside the Torchwood Hub, but he also knew that the Torchwood team had suffered an explosion in their base a few years before and had had to rebuild this all from scratch. And he had to admit, they'd done an amazing job. The Hub looked just like it did before, if slightly cleaner and newer with more futuristic details and alien technology and artefacts dotted around. He was impressed. Suddenly River stepped out from behind the safety of the TARDIS doors. She wore a navy blue, thin and floaty top, which was decorated with a small floral design and matched with a pair of white jeans and brown leather ankle boots. The top was loose and wafted a little in the light breeze. River had taken to wearing clothing with a little more give, as her usual clothing was feeling a little snug. She didn't really have a baby bump to match her maternity clothes as she hadn't started to show there just yet, but her stomach, which was still flat, had a small curve and was definitely slightly more rounded now, although it wasn't too clear underneath her current attire. She had a huge grin suspended on her face as she saw Jack and they greeted each other with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, well, well, Miss Song..." He began. "My favourite lady"

"Now dear, that'd better be a _Mrs _Song" She corrected, interrupting him mid-sentence.

"Ah, of course! My apologies _Mrs_ Song" He grinned, saluting to her before advancing and hugging her tightly "It's good to see you, beautiful"

"I could say the same!" She laughed, resting her hands on his shoulders before cupping his face in her hands.

Suddenly Rex came bounding down the small flight of stairs, heading towards them and being closely followed behind by Martha and Gwen. Gwen and Martha both ran up and hugged the Doctor, greeting him and casually discussing how long it had been since they had seen him at the wedding, and quizzing him on how he was coping with marriage and fatherhood, to which they received reserved responses. The trio then joined the conversation arising between Rex, Jack and River.

"Hey, World War Two! Ain't you gonna introduce us?" Rex shouted to Jack, advancing to the Doctor and the Songs.

"Of course, Rex, this is the Doctor and his wife Professor River Song" Jack began, gesturing to the Doctor and his wife in turn, but he was cut off by Rex before he had a chance to continue.

"Professor River Song?" Rex exclaimed. "Whoa, it's really you?"

"Yes...?" River replied, confused and frowning slightly.

"Rex Matheson, ma'am" Rex responded, saluting to her "It's an honour"

"An honour? Are you sure? Oh, what have I done now?" She answered, rolling her eyes when she realised she'd probably done something wrong.  
>"I was reading through the Torchwood files when I joined a couple of years ago, and I was reading the files of all the previous employees of Torchwood, dating right back to Torchwood one. And when I got to Torchwood Three, I came across yours. You've done some amazing work Professor Song! All your research on alien life and time travel, and your work in the field, it's magnificent!" Rex grinned.<p>

"Oh stop fan-girling Rex" Jack chuckled, patting his colleague on the back.

"Well, Rex, thank you very mu..." River was cut off by her husband.

"Hang on...I understand why River would have Torchwood file, Torchwood like to keep tabs on everyone associated with me, but why would her file be classified under employees?" The Doctor questioned, butting into the conversation and turning the atmosphere uncomfortable. An awkward silence filled the air and Rex, River, Jack, Martha and Gwen, all looked away, trying desperately to avoid the Doctor's glare that was scanning over them all, dreading having to be the one to explain everything to him. "Well? Isn't anybody going to explain?"

"Alright sweetie, I will" River began, stepping towards her husband and taking his hands in hers gently "but you have to promise not to over react my love, because really, it's no big deal"

"What's going on? JUST TELL ME!" He whined.

"I used to work for Torchwood" River said plainly after taking a deep breath and exhaling it. The Doctor's eyes widened, so she hastily added "It was after Berlin, and I was studying at the Luna University and halfway through my course I wanted some work experience, so I called Jack and he offered me a job at Torchwood. There was no archaeology work going, so I became his alien specialist. I worked with alien artefacts and studied them and their uses and I just generally helped the team out. It's no big deal sweetie. I worked as Jack's right-hand woman for a few months, and then I went back to university"

"Why did nobody tell me this before?" He muttered, a little offended and unsure of what to make of this revelation. The Doctor was uncertain about whether he liked or disliked Torchwood. He was proud of Jack and the team's work, of course, but he disliked the way they did things, for instance, walking into places with guns blazing. But whether his doubts were because their methods were dissimilar to his own, or because he was a little jealous of their brilliant work, he was unsure. Torchwood scrambled his brain, he knew that much. And upon discovering his wife's previous involvement with Torchwood, actually, the more he thought about it, didn't come as much of a surprise.

"We all know your take on organisations such as Torchwood and UNIT, sweetie" River chuckled, winking at Jack. "We didn't want to keep it from you, but we saw no other option for fear of upsetting you!"

"Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now" The Doctor sighed, wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulder and pulling her close "What's done it done"

"Quite right sweetie" River smiled, leaning up and pecking his cheek.

"Unless, I go back in time and change it..." He grinned.

"Don't even go there" River muttered, patting his cheek twice.

"So, where are your lovely children?" Jack asked. "I can't wait to meet them"

"Ah, of course" The Doctor grinned and then leaned into the TARDIS and called out to his children "Girls! You can come out now!"

Lily appeared from behind the door, warily surveying her surroundings before stepping out into the unfamiliar territory. Jack grinned and bent down to Lily's level and reaching out his hand to shake hers.

"Hello" He smiled kindly "You must be Miss Lily Rose Song. I've heard all about you. It's great to finally meet you after all these years. I'm Captain Jack Harkness" Lily shook his hand and smiled. A few seconds after, Jenny stepped out from the TARDIS with a huge, friendly grin on her face.

Jack stood up, and turned towards Jenny, looking her up and down with a cheeky and flirtatious smirk cast on his face. He held out his hand, which Jenny took happily and he kissed it tenderly.

"Well hello Miss Song" Jack greeted the young girl, with a seductive tone to his voice.

"DON'T YOU DARE MR HARKNESS!" River quipped; removing herself from her husband's embrace so she could lean forward and smack Jack playfully on the shoulder, as if to bat him away.

"I was only saying hello!" Jack whined.

"Yeah...well...don't" River smiled, taking her daughter's hand and pulling her away.

"You have to watch that one, he'll flirt with anything that moves" Gwen smiled to Jenny, who chuckled in response.

But suddenly, someone caught Jenny's eye, and she began to stare at Martha, before Martha locked onto her gaze and smiled broadly at her. Jenny began to move towards her old friend and Martha enveloped Jenny in her arms, because of course, they hadn't seen each other since the day Jenny was 'born' and 'killed'. Martha knew that Jenny was still alive, the Doctor had called to tell the Torchwood team a few weeks before their arrival, but Martha was still so pleased to see Jenny alive and well, in person. Martha and Jenny parted after a few moments of hugging and rocking from side to side in each other's arms.

"Martha!" Jenny gasped.

"Jenny, oh my god, it's so good to see you!" Martha smiled, holding her hands gently.

"As much as I hate to break up the party, I think we need to get a move on with starting River's scan, Martha" Jack said, moving over to his colleague and gesturing to the examination room down the corridor, concealed behind glass double doors.

"Yes, I think you're right" Martha smiled. "River, would you like to come with me and we can go down the corridor and we can get your scan in progress and we can find out more about your baby?"

"Sure" River replied, pecking the Doctor on the cheek before walking away down the corridor behind Martha and Gwen, who was coming along for support and to give Martha a helping hand if she needed it.

"Daddy..." Lily began, shuffling up to her father and tugging the sleeve of his tweed jacket until he turned to face her "...I want to look around the Hub"  
>"Ok...just wait a minute" He stroked his daughter's hair and stepped towards Rex, murmuring to him, "Rex, would you mind going with her? I mean, she's extremely well behaved, but I don't want to risk her getting into any...typical Torchwood trouble" He smiled, gesturing to his daughter.<p>

"Sure thing, come on Lily" Rex smiled, taking Lily's hand and turning to take her on a tour of the Hub.

"Wait!" Jenny called out, running over to Rex and Lily. "Mind if I tag along? I'd love to have a nose around"

"Sure, be my guest" Rex grinned, and the three of them disappeared into the depths of the Hub.

The Doctor and Jack watched them walk away, and then the Doctor stepped towards Jack, his expression turning serious in a matter of seconds. Jack could see the determined look in his eye and he tried to brace himself for the questioning he knew was coming.

"Why didn't either of you tell me that you and River worked together? That River _worked_ for Torchwood!" The Doctor asked, turning to Jack as soon as Rex and Lily had left the room.

"Because we both knew how you felt about alien hunting organisations. UNIT, Torchwood, all of us, you look down on all of us! Yeah, alright, you might pop in now and again to check up on us, and you might say we're doing a good job, but at the end of the day, Doctor, you think you can do better. And maybe you can. But that doesn't mean we're gonna stop doing what we do. And River needed a job, she found me, she tracked me down and I offered her a job. She took it, and she worked _damn hard_ at it! So don't you dare say that she was in the wrong for working for Torchwood, because at the end of the day, she was just doing what _you _taught her...And she was doing it well!" Jack snapped back instantly.

"...Good answer" The Doctor replied quietly, letting a small impressed smile grace his lips. Jack smiled back at him. The Doctor looked down at his feet and then added, "Sorry, I just get a bit overprotective of her sometimes. And, I know I shouldn't, because she's a brave and confident woman and is capable of handling everything alone...but I don't want her to be alone. I made her wait for so long, I feel like I ruined her life, her parent's lives, I made it so much more complicated than it needed to be. And I just want to make it up to her. I can't think of anything worse, than letting her down"

"Doctor, she's your wife, of course you're going to want to care for her and are not going to want to disappoint her" Jack sighed, placing his hand reassuringly on the Doctor's shoulder.

"I suppose. But I feel like it's so much more than that. After everything that's happened to her, everything we've been through, I just want to make it up to her, to be there for her"

"Then maybe you should be in there with _her_ instead of talking to me" Jack smiled and raised his eyebrows as he tossed his head towards the examination room.

"Ah, yes right, of course!" The Doctor grinned and then muttered, "Thank you Jack"

The Doctor gave a small half-hearted salute to Jack and turned on his heels and paced his way towards the examination room Martha and Gwen had taken River to. As he reached the door, he overheard a conversation between the three girls that was regarding him. And instead of walking into the room and interrupting, he stayed glued to the spot behind the door, listening silently to his wife and friends discussing him.

"Ok River, this is going to be a little cold, but you'll get used to it" Martha smiled warmly as she began to squirt the gel onto River's bare stomach. "Then we can see your baby"

"So, what's he like? The Doctor, as a husband and a father I mean. Is he good at it?" Gwen addressed River, as she sat on a nearby chair observing Martha at work.

"He's brilliant" River murmured, smiling to herself before catching Gwen's eye and chuckling slightly "He's been amazing. I couldn't have asked for more. I mean, he helped me through my pregnancy with Lily and delivered her; he helped me to raise her and then spent two years without her. Then he raised her on his own for five years whilst I was stuck in the data core, and then he rescued me and brought me back to life! He's the best husband in the universe, well, to me anyway, but I'm sure you two would disagree and stick up for Mickey and Rhys" She laughed, and Gwen and Martha returned her grin "No, seriously, he's perfect, and I love him so much. The girls adore him; he's an excellent father, and partner. He's so supportive and caring. I didn't think it possible to love someone this much. But I do. I really, really love him" River smiled "And I think I love him a little bit more every day"

The Doctor stood by the door listening to his wife saying beautiful things about him and he couldn't help but smile. He wanted to run in and take her in his arms, but he couldn't because if he did, they would all have known he'd been listening, so he waited for about three minutes and then casually waltzed into the room wearing a huge grin on his face.

"Hello! Did I miss anything?" He asked, walking over to where River was lying in the chair and Martha was tracing the transducer over her stomach.

"No, I was just about to start the scan" Martha replied, smiling at the Doctor.

"Great" The Doctor responded before leaning over River and cupping her cheek in his hand and placing a gentle and reassuring kiss on her soft lips before whispering to her "I heard what you said"

"What?" She whispered back, gazing into his eyes and smiling slightly as his face lingered above hers.

"I heard what you said about me" He couldn't help but smile and let his cheeks flush a definitive shade of fuchsia. "Just now"

River bit down on her lip, slightly embarrassed now, but she smiled and pulled his lips to hers, kissing him lovingly for a moment, and just as he pulled away, she whispered in his ear "I meant every word"

"I hate to interrupt, but if you want to turn your heads to the monitor, you can see your baby" Martha grinned as the husband and wife turned to face the screen. She pointed to their baby and the Doctor held his wife's hand tightly in his and kissed it. They couldn't tear their eyes away from the screen.

"Is everything alright?" River whispered to Martha after a few minutes of just staring at the screen.

"Everything's perfect. You're baby is about 2.5 inches from crown to rump and that sound you can hear is your baby's heartbeats. Obviously your child isn't fully developed yet, but it's got most of the bodily features and your baby is developing well" Martha smiled, loving the look of awe on the Doctor's face. "And when the time comes for your baby to be born, I'll be the one delivering your child, if...that's alright?"

"Of course! I wouldn't have it any other way!" River reassured her "I'm not having the Doctor deliver our baby again, although he did do a good job" She glanced at her husband and squeezed his hand tight before he placed a kiss amongst her curls.

"Good, good" She smiled, before turning away from them and back to the computer "I'll just print off a copy of your ultrasound, for you"

River pulled her top down over her stomach and stood up from the chair with support from the Doctor. They waited for a few moments, talking to Gwen about her daughter Anwen until Martha came over with the ultrasound picture of their baby. River thanked her and took it from her, admiring it for a second and stroking the edges of the picture with her thumbs before sniffing, folding the picture and tucking it away safely into one of the back pockets of her jeans.

"When do we need to come back for another check-up?" The Doctor asked, slotting his arm around River's waist and pulling her into him.

"Well, I think you'll be alright if we schedule your next appointment for 20 weeks. But of course, if there's anything you want to see me about before then, or if you have any queries, feel free to give me a ring or pop by whenever" Martha replied, as they all began to walk out of the room and towards the central part of the Hub.

"Thanks Martha, it's much appreciated" River smiled.

They all departed the examination room in search of the others, as the Doctor and River wanted to make a swift getaway as it was getting late. Just as they reach where the TARDIS was parked, Jenny, Lily, Rex and Jack came walking down the stairs towards them after finishing their tour and the Songs briefly heard the end of a conversation between Jenny and Jack.

"You're really something special Jenny, so, any time you want a job, you give me a ring" Jack smiled, handing a card to Jenny with his number on it.

"Thank you for your kind offer Mr Harkness, but I'm afraid I'm not interested" She smiled, shaking his hand and stepping towards her parents and little sister. River rested her hand on Jenny's shoulder, proud that she was making a stand.

"Very well ma'am" Jack laughed, standing up straight and saluting her.

After hugging and kissing, saluting and goodbyes, the Songs finally climbed aboard the TARDIS and the familiar break noise of the familiar blue box kicked in and within minutes, they were gone, leaving the Torchwood team to carry on from where they left off.

**Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews, and if you have the time please leave another one! They mean the world, they really do x**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** So this is just to clear up any issues you may have been finding with timelines and how this all fits with the real Torchwood & Doctor Who shows.**

**1. So, at the beginning of this fic, if you remember, the Doctor drops Amy & Rory off at their house with baby Melody, because everything up to AGMGTW is true to the show, but after that it's completely AU. The Doctor finds baby Melody and reunites her with her parents. There is no Mels. River doesn't go to Lake Silencio to kill him and they don't get married on the pyramid, they get married the way it was in the beginning of the fic and stuff like that. Basically what I mean is that after being reunited with her parents, Melody grows up as a normal child, goes off to the Luna University, works for Torchwood a little bit, meets the Doctor for adventures and stuff, then marries him, has Lily and etc (basically whatever happens/happened in the fic). Does that make sense? I hope so! **

**2. And as for Torchwood, this is basically set after the events of Miracle day, and the team go back to Cardiff (Jack, Rex & Gwen), rebuild the hub and then recruit Martha to work for them as their medic. And I imagine Rhys and Mickey to be sort of honorary members of the team. **

**I hope that all makes sense; I just wanted to make it clear just in case it was a little confusing. But if I have just made it more confusing for you, then ignore me! Ok, I'm rambling now. I will shut up. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. x**


	25. Acceptance

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Ok, I am so so so sorry for the wait! But here is the next chapter! Please R&R it would mean the world, and I am SO SO SO grateful to all of you who are still reading this fic! Pleas enjoy! :) xxx**

**DISCLAIMER:**_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Acceptance**

_(13 Weeks [3 months] Pregnant) _

"Hello sweetie" River smiled to her husband as she stepped into the control room. The Doctor, who was running around the console, flicking switches and setting the co-ordinates to their destination, twirled on his heels and paced his way towards his wife, taking her hands in is and kissing her cheek softly.

"Beautiful" He grinned, pulling back and looking into her exquisite blue-green eyes. "But don't you think you're outfit is a bit revealing?"

"What?" She choked, furrowing her brow. "How is a shirt and jeans revealing?"

"Well...err, no it's not, not in that way, but...we're going to see Amy and Rory to tell them about the baby, and the shirt is quite, um, tight, and they will notice the baby bump straight away, and there will be no surprise" He muttered, looking fairly smug.

"Oh sweetie!" River breathed, cupping his face in her hands and pulling his lips to hers. "You are so lovely and caring and ridiculous! And I love you for it"

The Doctor smiled widely and stepped closer to her, lacing his arms around her waist as she locked hers around his neck, pulling her tight into his body as he hugged her. He rested his face in the crook of her neck, before placing a tender kiss on her neck and pulling away. He twirled and pranced around the console. River, who barely ever listened to what the Doctor told her, took a second to look at her outfit. She was wearing a white cotton shirt with three-quarter length sleeves, the top few buttons undone and the bottom half tight around her growing belly. Her bump wasn't huge, but she was just starting to show a bit, and the tight clothing made it more obvious. She felt a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't too bad and she wanted to make the most of wearing her favourite clothes before she was too big to fit into them. She also wore skinny jeans, as she could just about still fit into them, and she had paired her outfit with black stilettos and her golden curls were piled into a loose up do, with wispy strands falling onto her face. The TARDIS touched down in Amy and Rory's front garden. The Doctor stepped out first, and was immediately met by Amy leaping on top of him and locking her arms around his neck.

"Doctor!" She grinned, as she stepped back a little, although his arms were still tight around her waist and she was subconsciously caressing his cheek with her hand.

"Pond" He smiled back at her, before pulling her into a tight embrace and releasing her.

"How are you? How's the family?"

"All good"

"Have you been looking after my daughter, Doctor?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yes, of course!" He laughed, but his face turned serious in a matter of seconds as he began to mutter "More so than usual, actually, because she's..."

"Pregnant?" Amy cut in, as River stepped out of the TARDIS and Amy saw the swelling of her belly and instantly new that she was with child. She turned her attention to her daughter and addressed her with a stern, and shocked expression written across her face. "River, you're pregnant?"

"Yes" River smiled faintly, stepping towards her husband and letting him wrap his arm around her waist.

"You didn't tell me? How far along are you?" Amy questioned, looking a little hurt and still slightly shell-shocked after discovering that her daughter was pregnant with her second baby and she wasn't even aware until that very moment.

"Thirteen weeks" River grinned.

"Three months! And you didn't say? Why not?" She shrieked, her voice going up an octave with each question.

"The Doctor and I decided to keep it a surprise for a while" River muttered, glancing at the Doctor, who smiled lovingly and squeezed her close to him whilst placing a tender kiss in her wild curls.

"Oh, it's definitely a surprise!" Amy roared, before moving towards her daughter and hugging her tightly "Congratulations darling"

"Thank you" She smiled before they pulled apart. "Where's dad?"

"In the back garden, manning the barbecue. Oh, just wait until he hears about this" She grinned, clasping her hands together in excitement.

"Speaking of Rory, does he happen to have his sword with him by any chance?" The Doctor asked nervously, tugging at the collar of his shirt.

"No...why?" Amy smirked.

"Well, I would quite like to still be in one piece after he finds out I've knocked up his daughter again"

"Oh sweetie!" River laughed, stepping towards the Doctor and resting her palms flat against his chest as he laced his hands around her waist. "When you say it like that you make it sounds like I'm a random woman that you slept with and got pregnant! It's not like that, I'm your wife, and we're having a baby and building up our family. My father will understand that and he'll be happy for us. You needn't worry, my love" She leant up, and pushing his cheek towards her face with her fingers, she placed a gentle kiss on his soft, pale lips.

"Speaking of families, where are the girls?" Amy asked, interrupting.

"We're right here!" Jenny grinned, stepping out of the TARDIS doors, holding her little sister's hand securely in hers.

"Grandma!" Lily cried, letting go of Jenny's hand and running towards her grandmother. Amy enveloped both the girls in her arms at once and kissed them both on the tops of their heads.

"Lily, Jenny, it's so good to see you both!" She grinned, stroking Lily's hair and squeezing her into her side. "Come on you lot, let's go and find your grandfather"

They all began to walk slowly round to the side of the house and along the cobbled path and then through the little wooden side gate which lead to the big back garden, Jenny was walking beside Amy and was filling her in on all that had happened lately, and was telling her about the visit to Torchwood and how River's pregnancy had been going, and River and the Doctor were walking behind them, hand in hand. Lily ran ahead in search of Rory, and when she spotted him standing by the barbecue with a pair of silver tongs and a pin-stripe apron tied around his waist, she ran up to him and squeezed him tightly.

"Grandpa!"

"Oh, Lily!" He grinned, putting down the tongs and turning to hug his youngest granddaughter properly. "Hello! I didn't realise you were here! Is your mother here? How is she?"

"She's here. She's fine, she was feeling a bit sick recently, but daddy said that was normal" Lily replied, peering the barbecue whilst carelessly replying to Rory.

"Whoa, wait, what?" He asked, grabbing Lily's arms and turning her gently to face him as he bent down to her level. "Sick? Lily, sweetheart, what do you mean, _sick_? Is she ok? Is she ill? Is there something wrong with her?" He asked the young girl desperately.

"No, grandpa, she's having a baby" She smiled, to a shell-shocked Rory, before she turned her attention back to the sausages cooking on barbecue.

"What?" Rory whispered to himself, standing up and staring into space whilst trying to make sense of what his granddaughter had just confessed to him.

At that moment, River, Jenny, Amy and the Doctor came round the corner and entered the garden. The Doctor was standing in front of River, so he couldn't immediately see whether or not his granddaughter was telling the truth, but as soon as he caught a tiny glimpse of her, he went marching towards the gathering, determined to find out what was actually going on.

"Melody? Melody! Melody!" Rory yelled, pacing his way towards his daughter and her husband, granddaughter and his wife. When River heard the name that held the memories that had tormented her all her life, she immediately turned to face her father, with narrow eyes. "What's all this I hear about you being...?"

As soon as she was facing him properly, it was clear for Rory to see that his daughter was sporting what was clearly the beginning of a baby bump. He gasped and advanced towards her.

"Oh my god, it's true. You're pregnant?" He asked, stepping closer and closer to her, but stopping so there was still a decent gap between them.

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?" River asked calmly, keeping her cool, confident manner and simply raising her eyebrows at her father and waiting patiently for his response.

He didn't respond for a moment. He simply just stared in awe at her stomach, and then at her face, which was still fixated with her steady demeanour. He quickly glanced at his wife and then to the Doctor, who both were smiling blissfully at him. Then he turned his attention back to River and within seconds was advancing on her and held her tightly in his arms as he whispered into her hair, "Not at all sweetheart" he kissed her temple tenderly, "It's wonderful"

"Good"

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" He furrowed his brow as he asked and stepped out of the embrace.

"I didn't want to tell you that you were getting another grandchild, and then have something awful happen, like...loose the baby. I didn't want to disappoint you" She sighed, and the Doctor saw how difficult this was for her, and that she was clearly thinking about the time she believed she'd miscarried Lily, so he quickly stepped towards her and put his arms around her, kissing her head gently, and she relaxed into his loving embrace and soon felt she could carry on "So, we waited until the threat of miscarriage was much reduced before we told you. I felt more comfortable having things that way. I'm sorry"

"It's alright, but you still should have told me. I'm a nurse, I'm good with pregnancy" He smiled.

"Not as it turns out that good" Amy laughed as she cut into the conversation.

"Shut up" He grinned.

They all began to move towards the barbecue, where Lily was standing and watching over the cooking food. Rory took over again and with the help of his granddaughters, they plated up the food and served it to the others, who were sitting down on a picnic mat in the middle of the garden. It was a beautiful summer's day, the perfect weather for a barbecue. The sky blue atmosphere was lightly dusted with a few wispy clouds that swirled around in the oxygen rich atmospheric conditions. The trees and shrubbery that enclosed Amy and Rory's magical garden were all a fruitful shade of jade with colourful vegetation blossoming from the undergrowth and the towering trees swayed gently in time with each other in the light, and almost non-existent, summer's breeze. The sheet of emerald grass that was underneath them was luscious and soft, the maturing sun spread creeping beams of light through the blue, and the general cheerful mood was more than any of them could have wished for. The Doctor glanced at the old house that his wife's parents resided in. It was the same as it always was, sturdy and beautiful and bursting at the seams from all the memories it held within the stone walls. The exterior was worn away a little and had been fixed up with various paint jobs and winding vines were slithering up the stone walls. Rory and the girls came and sat on the picnic mat with Amy, River and the Doctor.

"Is _is_ safe for us to be here, isn't it? We won't create any paradoxes with having little Melody meet River?" The Doctor asked, taking a bite into his hot dog.

"Yes, totally safe. Melody's away at summer camp for a while" Amy smiled.

"Oh summer camp, I remember that year" River smiled, glancing at her mother's bewildered face, before she smiled. They still hadn't all come to terms with the fact that River and Melody were in two places at once, despite it having been seven years, nearly eight, already.

"So, Jenny was telling me you went for a check-up the other week" Amy smiled, taking a small sip of her mineral water.

"Oh, yes we did! Here's the ultrasound picture from a couple of weeks ago" River smiled, as she unfolded the picture of her baby, which had been tucked safely away in the pocket of her jeans up until now, and handed it to her mother.

"Oh, oh wow. Oh, River, that's amazing. Oh, congratulations darling"

"I'll be back in a minute" Rory said suddenly, getting up and making his way into the house.

The rest of the family didn't think anything of it, and continued to talk about the baby and have their lunch. Twenty minutes passed and Rory didn't return, so Amy went in search of him. A further twenty minutes passed and Amy didn't return, so River, who was growing a little restless, persuaded the Doctor to go in search of her parents. Reluctantly, the Doctor got up from his comfortable position on the mat and entered the house in search of his friends. As soon as he entered the house, he made his way to the living room, where he heard muffled sobs. He poked his head round the door and saw Amy clutching Rory tightly and attempting to calm him down. Rory's face was nestled in the crook of Amy's neck as he cried, and Amy squeezed him tightly, her arms clasped around him and running up and down his back tenderly, trying to comfort him. The Doctor stood by the door for a few moments until they noticed him. Rory lifted his head from where it rested on Amy's shoulder and he looked over to the Doctor before pulling away from his wife and wiping his tears away. Amy didn't move though, and she held onto Rory's arm, stroking it gently and reassuringly as she looked over to the Doctor.

"Is everything alright?" The Doctor asked gently, approaching them warily.

"Yeah, yeah fine" Rory replied hastily, rubbing his red eyes and flashing him a weak and very fake smile.

"No, Rory, love, tell him" Amy cut it, looking at her husband.

"No"

"Just tell him" Amy pleaded.

They exchanged looks for a few moments during the awkward silence, with the Doctor watching on with a blank expression written on his face.

"I'm going back to the garden. The girls will be wondering where we all are" Amy said, filling the silence before moving to the door. She brushed past the Doctor and with one last look back at her husband she said "Just tell him, Rory"

As Amy left and returned to the garden, the Doctor moved towards Rory, who was initially very reserved, but began to open up after a few moments silence.

"Rory, what is it?"

"Nothing, it's just...I just..." He sighed and sat down on the sofa, with his head in his hands. "When I went marching over to River earlier, yelling at her and calling her Melody, I saw her face. I saw it all come flooding back. The kidnap, Kovarian, all of that trauma, and I saw her flinch from the painful memories she'd shut out, and the memories that come hand in hand with that name. And...it reminded me too. Melody is my baby, and I don't think I ever really accepted all that happened to her. I still have my Melody, she's still a child, she's my little girl and she's at summer camp without a care in the world, just having fun. Of course she still has the memories of being kidnapped, but she does so well to shut them out. But, seeing River every once in a while just reminds me that one day she won't be my little girl. She'll grow into an amazing enigmatic woman, with a wonderful, complicated, time-travelling life. She'll be brave and amazing, and...seeing her with you and the girls and now with her new, growing baby, it just reinforces the fact that I am losing her. It's ok though, because I know that she's going to be alright. Melody is my baby girl, my child, but she's also the weapon, trained to kill. Whereas River, River's incredible, she's courageous and heroic, she's the remedy. And it's ok, because she's not my Melody anymore and I know that and I have to accept it now. She's grown up and she's yours now, Doctor. She's your wife, and she's your River. Care for her. Love her. Keep her safe and protect her. Make her feel special because she _is_, you know. She's _so_ special. She's still my daughter, and she always will be, and I love her so much. But I have to accept that when I see River, my Melody, that part of her, she's gone. And I need to keep reminding myself of that. That she's grown up. She's got her own family and her own responsibilities and she can handle them on her own. She doesn't need her old dad anymore"

"Oh, Rory" The Doctor sighed, sitting down after listening tentatively to Rory's heartbreaking speech. "She will always, _always_ need her father. I know my girls will always need me, although they may not always show it. Just because she's grown up, doesn't mean she doesn't need you!"  
>"Yeah, you're right, thank you" He smiled kindly, and then he muttered, "Promise me something Doctor?"<p>

"Anything"

"Look after her, care for her, protect her, and most of all, just love her"

"Always" He smiled. "And...you're not losing her you know, Rory. She talks about you all the time. She loves being around you and Amy, she loves coming to visit you and spending time with you both. So don't ever believe that you've lost her just because she's not little Melody anymore. She'll always be your daughter, Rory" He said comfortingly, placing his arms on Rory's shoulder "If you love her, you have to let her go"

"Yeah, thank you Doctor" He smiled.

The two men got up and shared a manly hug before making their way back outside. Rory and the Doctor had always had a strained relationship. Although they were good friends, there had always been rivalry between them from the start, especially when Rory truly believed he was losing Amy to _him_. But they had overcome that when Amy had proven her affection towards Rory, and had willingly married him, and the Doctor's relationship with River had become stronger and stronger. Now, although technically they are father and son in law and have that particular relationship, they are still firm friends, but Rory's insecurities still exist and linger within their family ties. But occasionally, their friendship is reaffirmed and Rory can see just how much the Doctor really cares for him, Amy and River and how he never meant to cause them any harm, but sometimes they happened to get caught up in his complicated and dangerous lifestyle. As her father, Rory could see how much River means to the Doctor and how much the Doctor means to River. They were good for each other. The Doctor had had a major change in character since he married River, he was calmer and more reserved, and vice versa, River was more settled than she had been before. They were perfect for each other and he knew that. He wasn't losing his daughter; he was gaining something so much more.

**Please leave a review if you have the time, it would mean the world to me :) **

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** This chapter is more about Rory because I think he's a brilliant character and I wanted to elaborate on his relationship with the Doctor and him being a father to River, and how he has to accept that his Melody is gone. I hope you enjoyed something a little different! I have the next chapters all planned out, I just need time to write it! So hopefully it will be up soon! So bear with me! It's coming I swear! :) x**


	26. Forgotten

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** I just want to say a massive thank you to those of you who are still reading this. I hope you're still enjoying it, I still enjoy writing it :) I also want to apologise for the awful chapter that came before this one. It was so bad and I've probably put you all off reading this! But if you are still reading it, thank you so much and I hope this chapter revives this fic a little. Enjoy :) **

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Forgotten**

_(15 Weeks Pregnant) _

The Doctor sat at the dining table of the TARDIS's kitchen, his hand wrapped around the warmth of the white porcelain coffee mug and his eyes a whirlpool of painful tears. The tears that stained his cheeks where beginning to sting and the skin around his eyes was red and sore. He could hear nothing but an agonizing silence and the irritating ticking of the small clock, set to Greenwich Mean Time, which was placed on the marble counter across the other side of the kitchen. The darkness swirled around him as it engulfed him and the excruciating pounding in his head was the least of his worries as he blinked away some of his tears. He was vaguely aware of his surroundings, with his senses on high alert for every little sound, but alas, there was none. His psyche was a phantasmagoria of memories and thoughts and he tried to make sense of it all as he sat alone in the dark with River's words on a loop in his head.

"_What day is it? Tell me. Go on. You can't can you? You don't know"_

The words echoed in his mind and he recalled the look on her face, the hurt in her voice strangled in her throat, a thin coat of tears glistening under the light, the disappointment clouding her eyes made it obvious that he'd let her down. The heartbreaking image of his wife replayed in the Doctor's mind over and over and over again. He longed to hear her voice calling his name, calling him sweetie, he wanted her to make him laugh, and to tell her things that were completely irrelevant just to make her roll her eyes, he wanted to see her beautiful smile and her face light up, he just wanted to talk to her and hold her tightly in his arms and say sorry. But he couldn't. She wouldn't let him. She wouldn't let him anywhere near her. She wouldn't talk to him. All day she had avoided him, and hadn't said a word since the early hours of the morning when it had quickly dawned on her that what she had been expecting was not going to happen. He recalled how earlier that evening he had watched her usher their daughter into her had followed her into the room, despite River shooting him an intense glare, which was the most acknowledgement he received from her all day,and he watched from the doorway as River tucked Lily up in bed and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, bidding her goodnight.

"_Goodnight sweetheart" _River had whispered, kissing her daughter's head before making sure the duvet was snug around her and stepping back to the door to switch out the lights. _"Sweet dreams" _

She had roughly pushed past him on her way out and had avoided any eye contact with him whilst she closed the bedroom door. He hadn't said anything; he just moved his arm and tried to hold her hand. Tenderly, he kissed her hand, but she had simply turned her head away.

"_River, please, what's wrong? _He murmured, his lips brushing against the soft skin of her hand._ "What have I done?" _

"_Spoilers" _She muttered icily._ "This time, you've got to figure it out on your own. I'm going to bed" _She snatched her hand back and disappeared into the depths of the TARDIS.

"_This time you've got to figure it out on your own"_

The words were ringing in his ears. She had told him to figure it out on his own, and that's what he had been doing all evening. But he hadn't a clue what it was she expected of him, or what he was supposed to have done. The only clue she'd given him was when she had implied it was a special day. He had tried to remember every special day, every holiday, everything that could mean something, but he still couldn't figure it out.

The Doctor got up from his seat, the legs of the chair scraping along the hard floor as he pushed it back. He left his coffee abandoned on the table as he padded through the darkness and along the winding corridors. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the door to the swimming pool was ajar. He shuffled quickly and quietly to the door and peered through the crack. The room was dimly lit by the pool lights and he could see River swimming the lengths of the pool monotonously. Her damp curls cascaded over her shoulders and the Doctor slowly crept into the room and hid behind the pillar, watching her swim. The Doctor knew that swimming relaxed her and was good exercise for her during her pregnancy, but he also knew that she liked to swim when she was upset or feeling low and this was just another factor in the mystery of what it was that he was supposed to have done. He knew what was going to happen next, she would swim for fifteen minutes, have a shower and go to sleep. He had a few options, but he chose the cowards way out and slipped away quietly to hide out in the library until he knew she was finished with her routine and had gone to bed to relax. He didn't want a big confrontation, he wasn't in the mood.

A little while after, once he heard the water tumbling from the shower seize and he knew she was in bed, he got up from his hiding place in the depths of the library, where he had been curled up in a ball for the last half an hour reading whatever book he first laid eyes on, and made his way towards the bedroom. When he pushed the bedroom door open, he was careful not to wake her in case she was sleeping, he didn't want an upset sleep-deprived hormonal pregnant woman on his hands. He hovered on the spot for a moment, before he gently closed the door. He felt the cream carpet beneath his bare feet and curled his toes before nervously running his hand through his hair. He watched River, who was lying on her side, facing the door, with the duvet wrapped snugly around her. Her arm was draped over her belly and her fluffy, golden curls were fanned out on the pillow. He was suddenly aware of River's eyes on him and as he got used to the darkness, he could see her piercing gaze locking onto his every move. The Doctor sighed and made his way around the bed to get to his side. The Doctor climbed into the bed and shuffled closer to her, but he heard the rustle of theduvet as she edged away from him. He moved closer again and moulded his body against her. He could tell she was uncomfortable, but she couldn't get away from him because she was right at the edge of the bed now. River exhaled as the Doctor brushed her curls to one side and began to pepper kisses on the back of her neck and finished by gently pressing his lips to her shoulder. He could hear her breath becoming more ragged through the darkness and he knew that she was enjoying the intimacy, but was not going to admit it. He began to press his lips gently along the cold skin of her arm, but he stopped when he heard her whisper "Don't..." The Doctor kept his body close to River's and draped his arm over her, she tried desperately to wriggle out of his grip, but she couldn't so she abruptly sat up and turned away from him. He sat up too, and tentatively rested his hand on her shoulder. She quickly shrugged it off, but he moved closer to her and laced his strong arms around her stomach, accommodating her bump, and rested his chin on her shoulder. He heard her exhale in pleasure as she unwillingly relaxed into his loving embrace. But once again, she changed her mind and began to wiggle out of his grip. He held her tighter and forced her to stay there with him. He didn't want to be forceful, it wasn't in his nature, but he saw no other way that he could get her to open up to him.

"Please River" He muttered, in a barely audible voice.

"I can't"

"Can't what?"

River ignored his questions and suddenly turned her head a little so she was looking at him, and her hand wandered to his face and began to caress his cheek tenderly. He gently pecked at her neck and she finally gave in and changed position so she was facing him. River moved closer to him and she locked her arms around his neck, pulling him to her. Their foreheads were pressed together, their noses touching, their lips brushing. River could feel his warm breath on her skin and it was sending small shivers down her spine. His warm hand was round her neck, and his thumb was gently stroking her cheek and pulling them close together. They moved closer and closer, practically kissing one another, as River's lips were gently brushing against the Doctor's. But River soon snapped out of his embrace, crying as she slapped him away.

"No! No, no, no, no!" River wailed, pounding her fists violently against his chest. But he didn't flinch at all, he just wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, and eventually she settled and cried silently into his chest.

He wanted to hold her close, he wanted to kiss her, he wanted her to open up to him and explain why she was so upset, he just wanted to love her. But she made it so hard sometimes. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to push her away just to take the easy way out. He held her close to his chest and feathered loving kisses in her mane of golden curls, then, after a few moments of letting her cry, he gently laid back down, pulling her down with him. He wrapped the duvet around them haphazardly and she moulded herself into his side, with her head resting on his torso. He stroked her hair and let his fingers tangle in her curls, and then he swept his thumb across her cheeks to brush away the stray tears as she calmed down a little.

"Sweetheart, please, can you just tell me what it is that I have done to hurt you?" The Doctor begged quietly, hugging River close to his body.

"It's not what you've done. It's what you haven't done" Came the reply.

"And what's that?" He asked as he stopped stroking her hair and looked down at her with his beautiful eyes that made her go weak at the knees.

"You really don't know, do you?" She whispered, her voice timid and fragile.

"No" He replied shamefully, averting his eyes to avoid seeing the pain flicker across his wife's face.

"I thought you would have figured it out by now"

"Tell me, River, just...tell me" He said, growing impatient and exasperated.

"I thought you would have remembered. I tried to drop hints, but you didn't notice" She began, not daring to look at him.

"River..." He questioned in a serious and demanding tone.

"It's our wedding anniversary"

The Doctor heard the words roll off her tongue, but he didn't know what to say. He had forgotten one of the most important days in the year and now he knew he felt like an idiot. He was so angry with himself for not remembering. He wanted to shout, or throw something or harm himself, just to teach his brain a well-deserved lesson. He didn't say a word, just sighed and pulled River even closer as he wrapped his other arm around her for comfort. He felt tears on his arm and he knew River was crying again, although he couldn't hear her. She wriggled out of his grip and shuffled to the other side of the bed. She lay on her back, gazing at the ceiling, not daring to wipe away her tears for fear of alerting the Doctor that she was crying. But he already knew, and he moved towards her once again, despite her silent protests. A teardrop rolled down her cheek and he instinctively reached over to stroke it away, but she smacked his hand away. He stared at her for a moment, then to his hand, which was now red from where she had hit him, and then, realizing that she was still angry, he moved back over to his side of their double bed and turned his back to her, folding his arms stroppily. She sat up and looked at him, slightly amazed that he gave up so easily. She watched him for a moment, taking in the sight of his fluffy brown hair that was messy and childlike, and she observed his chest rise and fall as he took long deep breaths. She couldn't stay mad at him, no matter how hard she tried, and she shuffled over to him and placed her hand on his arm, letting her fingers dance tenderly up and down as she stroked his skin.

"Sorry" She whispered, but he didn't respond. "I didn't mean to hit you"

"It's ok" He replied, still not turning over to face her.

"No, no, it's not" She muttered, taking his hand in hers and kissing it softly, like a mother would to an injured child. When he ignored her again, she felt tears brimming in her eyes, and she told herself she was pathetic as she roughly brushed them away. She waited for a response of any kind, and then, when she received none, she moved back to her side, ready to fall asleep and forget the events of the day that she had hoped would be romantic and memorable.

Suddenly the Doctor rolled over and stared lovingly at River, although she was oblivious to this. He didn't want to be like this. He didn't want to be arguing and fighting with her, so he shuffled a little closer and stretched out his arm, letting his knuckles brush against hers to get her attention, and then he entwined his fingers with hers. River turned her head to face him, and through the darkness he could vaguely see tears streaking her cheeks. He tapped her nose playfully, and he saw a smile flicker across her lips for a fraction of a second before her expression dropped once more. He softly gestured for her to come closer, and she did. He embraced her in his arms as kissed her cheek gently and whispered soft apologies through her hair.

"I'm sorry, River"

"You forgot" She murmured, stroking her hand through his hair. "You forgot our wedding anniversary"

She was being tender and caring with him now, but he could tell she was still heartbroken that he hadn't remembered.

"Yeah, I know" He muttered "But, can I explain why I forgot?"

"Mmm" She dismissed, not ready to hear his excuses.

"River, we never had the chance to celebrate an anniversary before. We were always pulled apart by our timelines. The midpoint was over before we had the chance to celebrate our first anniversary, and after that, well...you know what happened. Every year I remembered, of course I did. But over time I trained myself not to, because it was too painful when I did. To know it's that special day in the year and no matter how much you want to, you can't spend it with the person you love, it hurts, River. You know that, I know you do. I'm so sorry I forgot, I didn't mean to, please..." He pressed his forehead against hers "Forgive me"

"Sweetie..." She began, and he looked into her eyes, hoping that she would say that it was alright and she forgave him. "You forgot our wedding anniversary" she said again, and he suddenly looked incredibly disheartened "You forgot the date of the day we married, the day I became your wife, and the day we promised to love each other forever"

"No, no, no, River, no. You don't honestly believe that I'd forget our wedding day, do you? How could I? It was the best day of my life. I got to become your husband, I got to give you this ring" he lifted her left hand and glanced at her wedding ring "and I knew that you would be mine forever. And you looked beautiful, I mean, you always look gorgeous, but, you looked like a goddess that day, the way your amazing dress highlighted your figure, the way the light bounced off your hair and sparkled in your eyes, the way you smiled at me when you walked down the aisle, you made my stomach flutter and I felt as if I was falling in love with you all over again" He sniffed and tried desperately to blink back the tears that threatened to pull him under.

River rested her hand on his cheek and continued her soft caresses.

"I had such high hopes for today..." she began, and upon seeing he was set to protest, she pressed a finger to his lips and he settled down "ultimately, it's our first wedding anniversary. I mean, I know this anniversary marks eight years of marriage, but never once did we celebrate our anniversary when we were together during the midpoint, and after that we never got the chance. This would have been our first. But you forgot"

"I'm so sorry" He whispered, pressing a kiss into her temple and then he dropped a quick peck on her shoulder.

"No, I am. I'm sorry. I was so lost in the idea of an adventure, trip or fancy dinner, or a romantic evening and the Gallifreyan tradition of replicating our wedding day and renewing our vows, that I forgot what really matters. Being with you on our wedding anniversary. Spending time with you, showing you how I love you and marking eight years of marriage. I'm so sorry, my love, it's not your fault" She smiled faintly, tracing her thumb softly over his cheek bones and bottom lip.

"But I forgot" He questioned, a look of confusion on his face.

"It doesn't matter" She smiled warmly, and hooked her hands around his neck to pull him in for a kiss.

"It does to me" He replied, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "Let me make it up to you"

"How? It's too late to go anywhere or get married again. Its ok, my love. As long as I'm with you, I don't care that we didn't do anything spectacular. I don't want that anymore anyway"

River rested her head on the Doctor's chest and ran her hand repeatedly over his torso, letting his shirt bunch up between her fingers. The Doctor kissed the top of her head and held her tighter into his side. He was disheartened that he hadn't been able to give her what she wanted, but she had reassured him that it was alright and she didn't want any of that anymore, but the Doctor couldn't help still feeling guilty about forgetting their anniversary. He believed what she said and that she had forgiven him, but he knew that deep down she still wanted some form of celebration, of course she did, and the Doctor was going to give that to her. He was going to treat her and give her a special and romantic evening; he was going to make it up to her eventually. He wasn't going to disappoint. The Doctor smiled to himself as he looked down at River, who had closed her eyes for a moment. He placed gentle kisses on her eyelids and relaxed back into his pillow. As he coiled a strand of her hair around his index finger an idea came into his head

"Ok, so maybe we can't replicate our wedding, but...we could replicate our wedding night?" The Doctor smirked.

"Oh, I love you Mr Song" River giggled as her eyes fluttered open, and she pulled the Doctor's lips to hers, capturing his bottom lip between her teeth and nibbling gently.

"I love you too. Happy anniversary, Mrs Song"

**Please leave a review if you have the time, it would mean the world to me :)**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**


	27. Pillow talk and Shenanigans

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Sorry for a bit of a wait, but here you go! This is a very fluffy & domestic chapter, so I hope you enjoy it :) There are some big things coming up in the next few chapters, so this is sort of a filler before then. Please R&R and of course enjoy! x**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: Pillow talk and Shenanigans**

_(17 Weeks [4 months] Pregnant) _

River snapped her eyes open when she heard the bedroom door creaking open. She rolled over in bed to face the door and saw the Doctor stumbling into the room through the darkness clutching a tray laden with breakfast things. The dim yellow light from the TARDIS corridor was seeping into the dark bedroom through the crack, but it disappeared when the Doctor shut the door behind him, and the room was plunged into darkness once more. The Doctor stood by the door, grinning like an idiot as he held the tray. River was surprised at his attire, as he wasn't wearing his pyjamas or his usual tweed outfit with the bowtie either, he was wearing a pair of tight fitting jeans and a patterned woollen jumper.

"Hello sweetie" He smiled, then he furrowed his brow. "No, no, that definitely sounds better when you say it"

River smiled and propped herself up in the bed as the Doctor brought the tray over to the bed and balanced it precariously on top of the covers. He leant over and kissed River's forehead quickly.

"You're awake then" He smiled, as he hovered by the bed and tangled his fingers in her hair.

"Mmm, just about" She smiled, sinking back into the pillows.

"Well, I made you breakfast in bed anyway" He smiled, stroking her hair tenderly and placing another kiss amidst her curls.

"Why?" She smirked and raised her eyebrows at him, slightly suspicious of his little gesture and half wondering

"What?" He choked in response.

"Why did you make me breakfast in bed? You never do that. Did you break something?" River interrogated, eyeing him carefully.

"What? River, no! I am hurt. I am actually hurt that you would immediately assume that" He said in pretence, tossing his head back and clasping his hand to his chest. "Can't a husband treat his wife once in a while?"

"Of course. I don't object to that" She grinned, and he hugged her tight to his chest.

"You don't have to eat it if you want to go back to sleep. But it's there if you want it, just toast-y things, and pastries" He said kindly and lovingly. "If you want to go back to sleep, you can, it's still early and the girls are still asleep. I only got up because I couldn't sleep"

"Thank you sweetie. I'll have some in a minute" Her eyelids fluttered closed and she sank down further into the pillows.

"I'll leave you to rest. I'll be in the console room if you need me darling" He whispered as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and turned to leave.

Suddenly he felt cold fingers around his wrist, which restrained him from walking out the door. He pivoted sharply on his heels and was met by River gazing up at him lovingly, with pleading eyes as she gripped his wrist tightly with both hands.

"Don't go, please. Stay here with me for a little while?"

""Well I can't say no to that face" He chuckled, tapping her nose playfully before moving to slide under the covers next to her.

When he climbed into the bed and settled down next to his wife, something sharp pressed into his back and he wrestled with the covers until he managed to reach underneath him and move it out of the way. He squinted and examined it, and upon realising what it was, he poked his wife on the arm.

"River, what's this?" He asked, looking slightly concerned.

"Oh, no, no, that's nothing" She said hastily, snatching the book from him and tossing it to the other side of the room.

"It was a book on pregnancy..." He began.

"Yeah, it was. But I am four months pregnant, so, it' s not really a big deal" She cut in.

"No, but, it was also a book about how to be a good mother and what could go wrong during pregnancy. River, why were you reading that?" He asked, shuffling closer to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest and laid one of her palms over his hearts.

"I'm just..._concerned_. You know, about what happened with my first pregnancy, and about being a good mother" She sighed and her voice trailed off a bit.

"River, you're already a good mother, a brilliant mother, you shouldn't be having doubts" He snuggled closer to her and nuzzled the tip of his nose behind her ear.

"But I am! I'm worried about being a mother again. What if I get it completely wrong? What if I screw up this child so badly? What if I let them down?" Her voice was almost a whisper now.  
>"You won't" He kissed her temple gently. "You won't"<p>

"But I might. Sometimes when Lily looks at me, she looks at me like I'm a stranger. Not all the time, just little occasional glances. I wasn't there for her when she needed me. I missed five years of her life. And no matter how long I spend with her now, I'll never be able to make up for that lost time"

"It couldn't be helped River, you know that"

"Yeah. But I feel like I let her down, and I'm worried I'm gonna do it again"

"You won't. Lily loves you so much; she'd do anything for you, River. She was willing to lay down her life for you, even though you hadn't been around, and you'd be wise to always remember that. She loves you, you're that little girl's mother, you're her world, and you would never allow yourself to let her down, not ever. And it'll be the same for this baby" He laid his hand over her stomach before placing a gentle kiss on her belly button.

"Thank you" River smiled, running her hand through his hair as he kissed her rounded belly.

"For what?" He smirked.

"For being here with me. Reassuring me and helping me, and being an amazing husband and father" She smiled, not daring to look him directly in the eyes.

The Doctor didn't say anything, just cupped her cheeks in his hands and pulled his lips to hers, kissing her softly, yet passionately at the same time.

"So, do you think it's about time we discussed names?" The Doctor asked suddenly, after they resumed their positions of lying next to each other.

"Sure" River muttered sleepily. "...Would you prefer the baby to be a boy or a girl, sweetie?"

"I don't mind. I just want a healthy little time-child" He smiled, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Me too" She whispered through the darkness.

"So, if it's a boy...how about Stormageddon?" He grinned ecstatically.

"What?" River spluttered, looking at him with piercing eyes. "I don't think so"

"Why not?" He whined. "It's a brilliant name! My friend Craig's son is called Stormageddon, well, no, Alfie, but he prefers Stormageddon, Dark Lord of all"

"We're not calling our son Stormageddon" River said sternly, propping herself up on her elbow so she could see the Doctor's face.

"Alright..." He replied sulkily.

"If it's a boy...how about Alex?" River suggested, trying to inject some sort of normality back into their conversation. "Or for a girl? It could be either"

"Alex, hmm, I like it" He smiled. "Or, how about Idris...for a girl? It was the name of a girl who had the TARDIS soul put into her, and as the TARDIS is a major part of our lives, perhaps it would be more meaningful?"

"Maybe..." She smiled faintly, and half rolled her eyes at him getting carried away again, although she loved seeing the expression light up on his face whenever they talked about their baby.

"Or Astrid? Another friend of mine" The Doctor said again. "Or Eve?"

"They're all very beautiful names" River sighed, and laid back down again. "It's so hard! I just don't know sweetie"

"Don't worry my love, we'll find a name. We always do" He giggled, running his fingers through her hair and reassuring her tenderly.

"When the time comes for a check-up, do you want Martha to tell us the sex of the baby?"

"...Not really" He replied after a moment of deep thought. "We found out we were having a daughter the first time, and although I loved knowing we were having a little girl, I'd quite like this one to be a surprise...if you don't mind"

"Of course not, I was going to say the same thing"

They lay in each other's arms in silence for a few moments, and River drifted off to sleep again for a little while. Meanwhile, the Doctor watched her sleeping peacefully, her eyes snapped closed and coiled golden strands of her hair were falling onto her beautiful face. The Doctor slipped his hand under the covers and rested it over his wife's stomach. He loved acknowledging their baby, even though it was still fairly undeveloped and had a long way to go yet. And River loved it too. She loved seeing him be a father, and he was so wonderful with children, albeit slightly ridiculous. She had no doubts about him being a good father, he already was and she'd always known he would be.

After a while of just resting, River moved away and slipped out of the covers, picking up the tray and turning to leave without saying a word. The Doctor abruptly sat up, sulking like a child and watching as she walked away.

"Where are you going?" He questioned softly.

"To heat up this lovely breakfast you made for me. I'm starving sweetie, I just have to eat something" She smiled, not stopping in her tracks when she answered him, and padding down the corridors clutching the tray on her quest for food.

The Doctor clambered out of the bed reluctantly. He had got used to the warmth and River snuggled by his side, so it suddenly felt so empty and cold without her. Whilst she made herself something to eat, he thought he might as well go and check the wiring on the TARDIS console as he had intended to do earlier before River had stopped him. As he made his way through the lonely corridors, he found his mind wandering to what he used to be, and what he had now. He was the lonely traveller drifting through time and space, picking up the occasional companion, only to lose them too and add another shed-load of pain and suffering to his pile of guilt and torment. He was emotionally conflicted, even though he tried his best to hide it from everyone. He had always felt as if he couldn't suffer, because he had to be strong for everyone else, but that was no longer the case. He had River; he had his equal, his partner, literally his other half. She was everything. Without her he wouldn't have his children or this little life they had created for themselves. He loved it, every second of it, no matter how domestic it was. He never wanted a life like this, he thought it would be boring and silly, but it wasn't. Not one bit. Because he was a husband, and a father, and he had new responsibilities and challenges to face up to now. He had something worth living for and something worth fighting for, and he loved it.

Suddenly, fixing the TARDIS didn't seem so important, so he went in search of his wife again. He knew where to find her, so he headed straight for the kitchen. When he reached the kitchen door, through the crack he saw River stood at the sink, washing up after finishing the breakfast he made for her. Her back was turned to the door, so she didn't see the Doctor enter the room. He stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in the sight of her. She only wore a light blue shirt, which stopped in the middle of her toned, bronzed thighs, over the top of her underwear. He quickly realised it was his shirt that she had borrowed without asking. Her fluffy golden curls were cascading over her shoulders and he admired her figure and every movement she made. He quickly advanced to her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, accommodating her belly, which had begun to rise out of her pelvis; making it very obvious she was pregnant. He nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck and began placing gentle kisses on her neck and on her shoulder. He then began to massage her neck and shoulders, kneading out the knots in her muscles with his gentle fingers. She moaned quietly and relaxed into his embrace. He stopped and kissed the back of her neck again.

"River..." He began, letting out a little moan. "Are you wearing my shirt?"

"Maybe" She smirked.

"Why? Don't you have your own clothes?" He chuckled.

"Yes, but I was cold, and your shirt was the first thing I found. It was tossed on the floor with the rest of your clothes after last night's escapade" She smiled, turning round to face him as he pinned her against the surface so she couldn't move.

She tipped her head back and he pressed an open-mouthed kiss on the front of her neck. She looked him in the eyes and held his head tight in her hands to secure their lips together to bring him in for a passionate kiss. She opened her mouth to him and allowed the exchange of tongues. River locked her arms around the Doctor's neck and he held his arms tight around her back. He pressed tender kisses along her cheek, jaw line and neck and then he pulled away. Their eyes met and the Doctor gestured to the dining table, and River knew exactly what he meant and smiled. She laid her palms over his hearts on his chest and he tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"No, sweetie, we can't!" She giggled, pushing him away from her reluctantly, but he just held her tighter so she couldn't escape.

"Oh come on...you know you want to" He laughed, kissing down her neck again to try and tempt her.

"I do, you know I do, but we can't!"

"Why not?" He asked softly, pulling back, and she saw the lust clouding his eyes. "I thought you were the adventurous type?" He smirked.

"Sweetie..." She sighed. "We _can't_! Lily could walk in any minute!"

"And?" He chuckled, kissing her on her soft, pale lips.

"Doctor!" She gasped, half laughing and half astonished at his behaviour. "She'd be scarred for life if she walked in on us doing _that_ on the kitchen table!"

"Well it would make it all the more fun, the possibility of getting caught" He grinned.

"Doctor, seriously, _no_! I mean it. Can't you just wait until later?"

"Not really" He chuckled, kissing her cheek quickly as she flung her arms around his neck.

"Oh darling, you're just a dirty old man at heart aren't you?" She sighed, and they both laughed a little.

The thought of making love on the dining table wasn't one River particularly wanted to dismiss all that quickly, but she knew the consequences and although she was adventurous by nature, she didn't want to risk embarrassing herself, and the Doctor, in front of their children. Suddenly the Doctor hoisted her up, cradling her in his arms. He hooked her hands around her back and under the backs of her knees and picked her up bridal style without her consent. He lifted her up and walked her over to the dining table, and gently laid her down. He found it hard to carry her because of the extra weight of the baby, but he managed it, and quickly clambered onto the table on top of her, working around her bump. He began kissing her deeply again and she smiled into his passionate kiss as she tangled her hands in his hair. River moved her hands quickly and began to unzip his jeans and he raised his hand so she could pull his jumper over his head. River's eyes widened and she bit down on her bottom lip when she realised he wasn't wearing a t-shirt underneath his sweater. She hooked her hands around his neck and pulled his lips to hers again. The Doctor unbuttoned the top few buttons of the shirt she was wearing and began kissing down her sternum. They were locked in a passionate embrace for a few moments, and were just about to take it a step further when the kitchen door creaked open and Lily stood in the doorway, shocked, as she watched her parents kissing on the table. She waited for a few moments, but then she coughed loudly and her parents immediately stopped. River looked up from where she was lying on the table and when she saw her seven year old daughter watching them in awe, she let out a little shriek and slapped the Doctor on the shoulder to stop him, before sitting up and buttoning up her shirt with expert fingers.

"Lily! Sweetheart!" River gasped, climbing off the table and scrambling across the floor to her daughter. She put her hands on her daughter's shoulders and turned her round, escorting her out of the kitchen. "You...um...you should have knocked, darling" River shot a worried glance over her shoulder to the Doctor, who was hastily doing up his jeans and putting his jumper back on, causing his hair to mess up in the process.

"But, mummy, you said we only had to knock if we were coming into your bedroom. Not the kitchen" Lily replied, looking up at her mother with a worried and confused frown on her little face.

"Yes...yes, I did say that didn't I? Alright, well why don't you go and watch telly and..." River sighed, but was cut off by her daughter.

"But I'm hungry mummy. You forgot to make me breakfast" Lily whined as she was guided to the TARIDS living room by River.

"Oh really? Silly mummy, I'll do it for you now darling" She smiled kindly, as they reached the living room door. She stroked her daughter's mane of curly hair, much like her own, and then she pulled her close and placed a kiss amongst her locks. "I'm sorry you had to see...um..._that_" River murmured.

"It's ok" Lily smiled.

"Thank you sweetheart"

Lily smile kindly and disappeared into the living room. River sighed a breath of relief and shut the door behind her. Suddenly the Doctor tapped her on the shoulder and she turned on her heels and folded her arms stroppily, raising her eyebrows at him. He swallowed hard and tried to avoid eye contact with her.

"Is she...is she alright?" He asked nervously.

"Yes. No thanks to you" She said sternly, but then she smiled and stepped into his arms.

"I'm sorry, River. It was my stupid idea. You were right, it was too risky" He muttered.

"Hmm, well then, you can go in there and explain to your daughter what you were doing" River smiled sweetly, and slightly patronisingly.

"What...what, River no. No, no, no, w...why me?" He squeaked.

"Because like you said sweetie, it was _your_ stupid idea"

**Please leave a comment if you have the time :)**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** PLEASE could you leave your suggestions for baby names with your reviews? I need some help! Leave ideas for both boys and girls, of course I know which it's going to be, but I keep changing my mind, so any ideas are welcome! Thank you x**


	28. The beast you've made me

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** I just really want to apologise for the ginormous wait for this chapter, I am genuinely so so sorry! I really hope this chapter is worth it... Anyway, I also really wanted to say a MASSIVE thank you for all your amazing reviews which really make me so happy, you guys make me happy when I'm sad and stressed and it keeps me going and now I have passed the 100 mark I am over the moon! Really, just thank you so much! :) And also all your suggestions for baby names are brilliant and if you have any more please keep them coming! So, please enjoy this chapter and R&R! :) **

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: The beast you've made me**

_(18 Weeks [5 months] Pregnant) _

"I'd take your hands off me if you know what's good for you" River snarled as she and the Doctor were shoved onto the cold stone floor and the door of the alien-metal cage slammed behind them.

They were enclosed in a medium sized cage with metal bars, in the middle of a huge and fairly deserted room, with a tall ceiling and alien technology all around them. As River cautiously surveyed the room, she noticed that there was only one exit, which was guarded by two armed soldiers in Demon's Run uniform. River knew they weren't at the Asteroid, Demon's Run, where she was kidnapped as a baby before the Doctor rescued her, but in a different base on some sort of ship they had crashed into when they were in the TARDIS. There were another six soldiers that were spread out around the room, all armed and all dressed in the same uniform, and a silhouette of a woman was vaguely present as she lurked in the shadows, tapping away at a computer.

"Oi! Watch it! She's pregnant you know!" The Doctor bellowed as he and River lay on the floor and he put his hand tentatively on her arm to reassure her.

"Oh, we know" The woman smirked as she stepped out of the shadows and into full view.

When River heard that familiar voice, she shuddered and felt chills down her spine. She knew the woman before she even saw her, and River felt herself crawl closer to the Doctor as the woman appeared in front of them.

_It was Madame Kovarian. _

"Kovarian?" River whispered in confusion, before drawing breath and clasping her hand over her mouth. The Doctor put his arms around his wife and glared at the woman standing on the other side of the bars.

Kovarian smirked evilly at him before she turned her back and moved towards a huge screen with a massive board of keys, leavers and buttons in front of it. She wore black leathers, but this time, no eye patch, as the silence had been defeated long ago, and she had her hair piled up into a loose bun just like before. She was exactly the same. She continued to tap furiously at the keyboard before a three dimensional scan of River and her unborn baby flashed up. Kovarian began circling the hologram and pointing at it as she discussed it with one of the soldiers and her eyes scanned over the seemingly endless string of data that the scan produced. River watched on nervously as she draped her arm over her stomach, protecting her baby.

"What do you want?" River cried, the fear of what was to become of her strangled in her throat.

"Oh, Melody, Melody, Melody...haven't you figured that one out yet?" She laughed wickedly in response, approaching the cage.

"Shut up! I'm not Melody anymore! I'm not her! I'm River Song" River screamed, rising to her feet as a few angry tears escaped her eyes.

The Doctor rose to his feet and quickly advanced to River, resting his hand on her shoulder to indicate that she should step back and calm down. She nodded to him, and breathing deeply, she stepped back, letting him talk.

"How the hell did you manage to hijack my TARDIS?" The Doctor asked angrily.

"Oh that was the easy part..." Kovarian dismissed.

"But...but...how? No one can pilot the TARDIS like that! You can't just gain control of it like that!" He stammered, failing to understand how she had managed to bring them here.  
>"No, you're right. But I have my ways, and if you think I'm going to tell you, think again"<p>

"What do you want Kovarian? Don't you _ever _just give up? YOU'VE LOST! IT'S OVER! Don't you understand that!" The Doctor yelled at Kovarian, as he gripped the bars of the cage tightly.

"Oh, Doctor" She chuckled. "_You're_ the one who doesn't understand! I had a plan to destroy you. I was going to raise little Melody into the perfect psychopath so she could rid the universe of you once and for all" She began to walk away. "Oh, but you had to go and meddle, didn't you? Doctor, those plans still stand. I _am_ going to destroy you, and now Melody too"

"But I don't understand...what has _my_ child got to do with your plans to avenge the Doctor and I?" River asked, wrapping her arms instinctively over her belly once again.

"Well...as we couldn't have _you_, Melody, we'll have your child instead! You never really escaped us, no matter how many times you thought you did. And we will take your child from you on the day that it's born, we will raise them and manipulate them into the perfect assassin, we will train them to kill, and eventually, they won't even know who you are, you'll just be a victim they've been ordered to execute" Kovarian replied, moving closer to the cage again.

"Oh, don't you just hate how villains always tell you their whole plan!" The Doctor sighed, pacing round the cage.

"_You cannot have my child!_ Do you hear? I won't let you!" River screeched, tugging at the bars of the prison.

"You haven't a choice my dear" The woman smiled. "Your baby is ours, Melody"

"For the _last_ time..." River began, through gritted teeth as her hands clenched around the metal bars. "I am _not_ Melody, I am River Song, and you have no control over me! Do you understand me? And I _swear_, I will fight you to the death to keep my child. So if that's what you want...bring it on!"

Madame Kovarian simply laughed at her and wandered back to the hologram and scan of the baby.

"100% Timelord" Kovarian beamed, impressed with what she had discovered. "Well, well, well, that's much better than what we had with _you_, Melody. This is exactly what we need. The child will be much more powerful and _so _much stronger"

"Ok, you want our baby, we get it!" The Doctor snapped. "But haven't you noticed the flaw in your plan? The baby isn't even born yet!"

"Oh, yes, _that_. Well, we did intend to capture you _after _the birth, but as you're here, it would be a waste not to imprison you" She smirked.

"What do you intend to do? Keep us here until the birth?" The Doctor scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"If that's what it takes" River looked horrified at this.

"That's sick" The Doctor bellowed "_You_, Kovarian are just something else"

"Thank you" She chuckled, moving away.

"What have you done with our children?" The Doctor boomed, ramming his side into the cage bars in a vague attempt to batter the cage to smithereens.

"Your children are safe Doctor, and they will remain safe, as long as you both agree to hand over your child as soon as it's born" She replied, turning back to him.

"Why on Earth would we agree to that?" The Doctor yelled.

"Because if you don't...you're children will remain in our custody and you will never see Jenny and Lily again"

And with that, Kovarian and the soldiers left the room. The huge door slammed shut and bolted behind them and two armed guards remained on the other side of the door if they should attempt to escape. The Doctor stumbled backwards with Kovarian's words ringing in his ears. Tears were streaming down River's cheeks and rolling, without stopping, from her eyes and she simply just blinked them away. The Doctor swiftly wrapped his arms around his wife to comfort her best he could. But she had been reunited with the woman who had tormented her and her parents, the woman who had hurt her and emotionally scarred her as a baby, the woman who now held them both in the most compromising position they'd ever faced. The Doctor rested his hand on River's head and pulled her close, pressing a gentle kiss amidst her curls as she cried into his chest.

"What do we do?" She whispered, lifting her head so she looked him directly in the eyes.

"I...I don't know" He replied, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

"You must know! What do we do? Doctor, _what_ do we do!" She began to pound her clenched fists against his chest as she wailed and screamed at him. He pulled her close and hushed her gently.

"I don't know, River. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Either way we lose our children and I...I don't know what to do"

"I can't let that happen! I can't lose any of them! Not Lily, not Jenny, not this baby. _No one!_ Do you hear me? _No one!_ I'm not letting Kovarian take them from me!" She snarled through gritted teeth as the thought of Madame Kovarian made her blood boil.

"Ok...ok" He took a deep, shaky breath. "We need to get out of here first" He stuck his hand in his pocket quickly and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "Good job I've got this then, isn't it" He smiled faintly as he advanced quickly to the lock and unlocked it. River smiled at him through her tears and then raced to the door, hot on his heels as they escaped the cage.

The Doctor and River searched desperately for their children, slipping past guards silently, sonicing the doors open swiftly, breaking security locks and cracking codes as they scoured the spaceship. River followed her husband and mirrored his movements. They worked together as one, a perfect team, just like the old days. River managed to knock out every solider that crossed their path, despite the slight disadvantage of her pregnancy. She acquired one of the soldier's guns along the way, and the Doctor knew, by just occasionally glancing at her, that she was a woman on a mission and had no qualms about using that gun that her hand was clenched tightly around. He could see the determination glistening in her eyes as they raced from corridor to corridor, room to room. They didn't say a word to each other as they moved swiftly along the glass corridors of the spaceship in a treacherous chase to find their children, only communicating with silent looks and determined nods.

Eventually they arrived at a bridge, made from and enclosed by the same glass as the many other tunnels. Neither of them looked down, both were fixated on opening the final door at the end of the bridge. The Doctor fumbled with the settings on his sonic as River waiting impatiently behind him. The Doctor groaned loudly and pressed his forehead against the door in defeat.

"It's no good, it's a deadlock seal! And I think there are traces of wood in the frame work"

"Oh that bloody sonic and bloody wood!" River groaned, kicking the door.

Suddenly they heard footsteps echoing down the corridor and just as the Doctor and River turned round, Kovarian appeared at the other end of the bridge with two soldiers positioned behind her. They approached quickly and the Doctor and River were immediately cornered at the end of the bridge. The Doctor saw his wife's hand suddenly clench around the gun handle and the skin of her knuckles flush white and she was grinding her teeth viciously.

"I see you escaped. I knew you would, that was part of the plan" Kovarian leered.

"If you knew I had my sonic, why didn't you take it off me?" The Doctor frowned.

"Because, Doctor, the thrill is in the chase" She laughed.

"This is all just a game to you isn't it?"

"_Yes_" Kovarian whispered eerily, before cackling evilly "And you've played so well"

"Now it's time for you to lose" River cut in.

"Melody" Kovarian and River's eyes locked onto each other's and they glared at each other intensely. "Before you decide who wins and who loses, so one thing for me" Kovarian leaned in to River and whispered in her ear "_Look down_"

Kovarian moved away, but her eyes were still locked in a trance with River's glare, their hatred for each other oozing from every pore. Eventually River broke the gaze and looked through the glass, down onto the level below them. Her hearts practically stopped beating at the horrific sight before her.

Lily and Jenny were desperately trying to escape their torture and were struggling against the handcuffs and shackles they were bound with and trying to escape from the tight, restricting ropes tied around their bodies. Tears rolled down River's cheeks at the heartbreaking sight before her and she almost collapsed in a heap on the floor when she heard Lily's piercing shrieks for help as she called out desperately for her parents. River couldn't bring herself to watch anymore, so she turned slowly back to Kovarian and the Doctor.

"There you go Melody. _That's_ what will become of your children if you don't give up your baby" Kovarian smiled.

"This is blackmail" River whispered, wiping away her tears roughly.

"Yes, it is. All you have to do is agree, and their torment ends. It's time to make a choice Melody"

**Please leave a comment if you have the time, it would mean a lot! **

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** I know Kovarian died in TWORS, but you have to remember that this fic is pretty much AU and because all that stuff didn't happen in this fic, it also means Kovarian isn't dead! So...here she is, popping up in this chapter! ****There_ is_ a second part to this which _will_ be up very very soon! Thank you for reading!**


	29. An end to this torment

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Hello sweeties! I had some of you asking me to update soon, so I thought I would do it tonight so that you had the second part. I hope you like it, R&R and tell me what you think. Enjoy! :) **

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: An end to this torment**

_(18 Weeks [5 months] Pregnant) _

"It's time to make a choice Melody"

"No, it's not. You really don't understand the bond between mother and child do you? You see, Kovarian, when you threaten that bond, instincts kick in, powerful instincts that know no bounds. A parent will go to great lengths to protect their child and no way am I letting you get away with what you've done" River growled as she stepped forward, getting very close to Kovarian and holding the gun to her head.

"Put the gun down" Kovarian said assertively, but River could hear the nerves in her voice.

"You kidnapped and tortured my children and tried to take my baby away, don't think I wouldn't use this"

"You wouldn't dare" She hissed.

"Wouldn't I?" River whispered in her ear.

River stepped back and turned away from her. The Doctor tried to catch her eye, but couldn't and in a split second she had spun back around and pulled the trigger, shooting one of the soldiers dead. The Doctor flinched, but he knew it was coming. The other solider swiftly raised his arm to threaten River with his gun, but River didn't move and just stood her ground and stared him down. But the Doctor quickly stepped forward.

"You can't shoot her!" The Doctor shouted, the worry filling his voice. "Because if you kill her, you kill the baby, and that would be the end of your plan"

The soldier lowered his gun and Kovarian scowled at him, scolding him for his stupidity. River didn't bat an eyelid and shot him too. She turned to Madame Kovarian, intimidating her with her malicious stare. Kovarian watched closely, eyeing River's every move carefully. Her heart was pounding in her chest and when River raised her eyebrows as she turned the gun to her, she nearly leapt out of her skin.

"Wouldn't I?" River said again, her voice sounding more dangerous than before. "Don't threaten me Kovarian. Don't play games with me. You'll lose, I guarantee it"

"Please..." She whimpered, begging for her life as River looked set to shoot her dead. "Melody...please...no...no..."

When Kovarian realised River was going to show her no mercy, she decided to make a run for it. But the split second she turned her back on River and began to run for her life back across the bridge, River pulled the trigger and executed her, ending the torment she had been conflicted with since she was a child. River's clothes were dashed with Kovarian's blood, but she didn't think anything of it. She just closed her eyes solemnly and burst into silent tears. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her as the gun slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. He pulled her into a hug as she broke down in his arms. He kissed the top of her head reassuringly and held her tight to his chest.

For the Doctor, violence was never the answer. But River had made it clear she would fight to the death for her children, and the Doctor couldn't disagree. He comforted and rocked her for a while before he took her by the hand and they walked solemnly past the lifeless bodies that lined the corridor and went to rescue their children. They dealt with the rest of the soldiers in a less brutal manner, and when they saw their children, they raced to them, running so fast they thought their legs would fall off. They unchained them quickly and began to soothe them. River enveloped Lily in her arms, whilst the Doctor helped and comforted Jenny, who, despite being the elder of the two, was just as terrified as her younger sister. River let Lily cry as she cradled her in her arms for a while, rocking her, kissing her and reassuring her in an attempt to calm her down the best she could. River's clothes were torn and covered in blood, her skin was battered and bruised and her emotional pain was ten times worse, but she didn't let any of it show, for her daughter's sake. She tried desperately to put on a brave face for the sake of her daughters, pushing past the torment she had endured at Kovarian's hand because she knew her daughters needed her, they were her first priority and compared to them, her own pain was irrelevant. Eventually she helped her daughter to her feet and the four of them walked sombrely back to where the TARDIS had been kept by Kovarian.

**...[LATER]...**

The Doctor put his daughters to bed, spending extra time tucking them in and reassuring them that they were safe. He told them if they needed anything, they could come to him at any time in the night and he wouldn't be angry. He knew how they felt. His hearts were still racing even though he knew it was all over. But his first priority was to protect and care for his family.

The Doctor walked swiftly down the dark corridors to his bedroom in search of his wife. When he reached the bedroom door, he gently pushed it open and scanned the room for River. He couldn't see her. He sighed as he strolled into the room and flopped backwards onto the bed. He rubbed his temples and breathed deeply for a while, calming himself down after one of the most stressful days of his life. He sighed, she could be anywhere in the TARDIS and he didn't have a hope of finding her. But suddenly he heard muffled sobbing through the darkness and he instantly sprung to his feet to investigate. He pushed open the door of their en-suite and was shocked by what he saw. The room was dark, but he could see River cowering in the corner, her knees pulled up to her chest the best she could with her bump, her body trembling and her hair covering her eyes. She looked up, peering at him through her matted curls. The Doctor quickly advanced to his wife, wrapping his arms around her. She didn't move, just shivered in his arms. His concern for her evidently showed on his face.

He stood up, and held out his hand for her to take, which she did, and he helped her up. She had scratches, grazes, cuts and bruises all over her skin, which he wasn't entirely sure how she acquired, but he could see she was in absolute agony. But nevertheless, he asked if he could help look after her, and she nodded weakly. He sat her gently on the lip of the toilet and examined her injuries. She had a cut lip, a black eye and scratches all over her legs and her knees were grazed, but somehow she still managed to look beautiful. He kissed her knees gently and traced his thumbs over her cuts, careful not to hurt her. Then he pushed up her top with his fingers to check her bruises. Down her right side she had a big purple bruise from where she had fallen, and he traced his fingers over it lightly, examining the damage. There was a sharp intake of breath as he accidently pressed too hard on the bruise, and he moved away from it, pressed his forehead to hers and apologised quickly. He kissed her nose softly and moved away from her and towards the bath tub. He turned the taps and ran the hot water for her, adding soaps and bubble bath. He wanted to care for her, so he thought bathing her to sooth her wounds would be the best thing to do first. But she couldn't do it herself as she was so shaken up, so he would have to help her.

When the bath was filled, he rolled up the sleeves of his light blue shirt and tested the temperature of the water, and then he moved back over to where she was sitting. Tears were streaming down her face, but she was trying desperately not to cry out loud. He knelt down in front of her, resting his hands over her shaking hands. He gestured to the bath and she nodded hesitantly. He began undressing her slowly, carefully lifting her blood-stained top over her head and helped her to her feet as he helped her out of her shorts, ridding her of each piece of tattered clothing carefully. She stood there naked, shivering in the cool air, so he quickly lifted her up into his arms and lowered her into the hot bath to warm her up. She didn't move. She just sat there with her arms around her body and the water tranquil around her. The Doctor sat on the edge of the bath and began to help her. He cleaned her wounds gently and washed her soiled skin, he washed her hair to the best of his ability and then he stopped, hoping she was feeling better and would try to do the rest on her own. She didn't do anything, just sank down into the water and closed her eyes, trying desperately to relax. He leant over the bath and kissed her forehead softly. He sat there with her, holding her hand while she soaked.

A little while after, he lifted her out of the bath and wrapped her in a warm, fluffy white towel. He carefully dried her skin and her hair, and then pulled one of his loose shirts over her head. He kissed the top of her head and lifted her into his arms again, carrying her from the bathroom through to their bedroom. She held onto him tightly, her arms draped over his shoulders and her head resting in the crook of his neck. And as they entered their bedroom, he gently laid her down on the bed and wrapped the duvet snugly around her. She smiled faintly and quietly thanked him for his help in a frail voice. He simply smiled down at her, brushing the back of his knuckles over her cheek and kissed her nose, cheek and forehead. Then he lay down next to her, fully clothed, and pulled her close to him. She cuddled him and he smiled into her curls, then she nuzzled her face into his chest to stifle tears she could no longer contain. He tried his best to comfort her, but he gave up and thought it best to let her cry.

River was distraught. Madame Kovarian had tortured her all her life. She had tormented her mother and father, and her husband, and now had tried to take her daughters and her baby, and River had had enough. But it was over now. Kovarian was dead. But surprisingly, River wasn't basking in her victory. Shooting people wasn't something she shied away from, but shooting Kovarian and ending her torment, had really shaken her up. But it was all over now, and she could move on with her life knowing she could never hurt her again.

The Doctor and River lay together in the darkness as the minutes ticked by silently. River was curled up in his arms and he held her closer than ever before. He pulled her even closer to his chest and she buried her head between the both of them. The Doctor kissed the top of her head and nuzzled her hair lovingly as he stroked his hand up and down her back. Her eyes were closed, but he knew she was still awake, there was no way anyone could sleep so easily after such a traumatic experience, not even River Song. The Doctor brushed a loose curl off her face and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. He nuzzled her nose with his affectionately and began tracing his thumb back and forth over her cheek. He suddenly felt small tear drops spill from her tightly closed eyes and he swiftly brushed them away.

"It's alright my love" He whispered softly, placing another kiss on her forehead reassuringly. "It's over now...it's over. You're safe"

Neither of them slept that night, they just lay together silently in the darkness, holding each other close all night.

**Please leave a review, you know you want to ;) **

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** I really hope that was worth it****! It's only short, but any feedback is greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it xx**


	30. Squabbling like an old married couple

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Hello! So, it's very nearly Christmas, so I want to wish you all a HAPPY HOLIDAYS! And this is the last update before Christmas, but there will be plenty more after Christmas! :) It's also nearly the Doctor Who Xmas special! Yay! :D So, after the last few angsty chapters, here is a fluffy chapter for you! I really hope you enjoy it! **

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER THIRTY: Squabbling like an old married couple**

_(20 Weeks [5 months] Pregnant) _

River paced anxiously around the TARDIS console, her arms folded across her chest one minute, then tangled in her hair the next, or fretting with parts of the console. She just couldn't calm down. The phone had stopped ringing after River had tried exhaustedly to make a final attempt to calm down her furious mother. River finally stopped pacing and came to a reluctant halt in front of the console room sofa as she flopped down onto it carelessly, all attempts to resolve the absurd situation abandoned. She tried her best to let go of her irritation and perplexity towards the conflicting situation, but what was playing on her mind more, was not whatever strange situation the Doctor had gotten himself into this time, nor the verbal thrashing from her mother, but merely just her concern for her husband's safety. She slowly began to rewind the day's events in her mind.

They had visited Torchwood earlier in the day for River's 20 week check-up, and the Doctor had been reassuring River that everything was going to be fine as she had been fretting about the safety of their child after the recent encounter with Kovarian and the wounds she had been inflicted with and all the tumbles she had taken on hard, cold floors. Naturally, the Doctor had scanned her after the events of that terrible day, and he had discovered no cause for concern. But River being River, had not trusted his judgement and had been anxiously awaiting the appointment with Martha for her final, and professional, verdict.

**...[FLASHBACK – TORCHWOOD CHECK-UP]...**

_The Doctor was holding River's hand tightly as he sat by her side and Martha carried out the scan and the check-up. _

"_Congratulations River, you're halfway there" Martha smiled as she fiddled with the scanner. _

"_Is everything ok?" River asked nervously._

"_Absolutely fine" She replied. "Is there a particular reason why you think it wouldn't?" _

_River glanced at the Doctor and he squeezed her hand before kissing it softly. _

"_We had a run in with an old enemy recently and I took a few falls and was injured a little. Nothing major, just cuts and grazes and bruises. Things like that. I was just worried about the baby. I wasn't sure if there would have been any effect..." She trailed off uncertainly. _

"_No. There doesn't seem to be any damage. I don't think you need to worry" Martha replied kindly, and the Doctor kissed River's head comfortingly as she breathed a sigh of relief and released the anxiety she had been containing for weeks. "Now... your baby looks great, everything is fine, and I can get a really good look at them so if you'd like to know the sex I can tell you" _

"_No thanks" The Doctor replied. "We've decided we want it to be a surprise" _

"_Ok" Martha grinned. "No problem. Have you felt the baby moving, River?"_

"_Yeah, a little bit" She smiled._

"_And has the baby been kicking?" _

"_No, not really. I had a few little kicks last week, but no big ones yet" _

"_Ok, that's good, you'll most likely feel more kicking in the coming weeks" Martha smiled. "How're you feeling?"_

"_I'm ok. I was worried about the baby, but apart from that, everything's fine. Nothing abnormal" _

**[BACK TO THE PRESENT]**

At that very moment, River was roused from her thoughts by a white flash of light appearing in the console room, revealing her husband looking rather dishevelled. His bowtie was undone and draped round his neck, the top few buttons of his light blue shirt were done up incorrectly, one strap of his TARDIS blue braces was on his shoulder and the other hung by his side and a red fez was askew on top of his ruffled hair. River sprung to her feet immediately and watched him through narrow eyes as he took a step forward and stumbled over his feet, grabbing hold of the railings to keep himself on his feet. River folded her arms and waited for him to notice her. He looked up slowly, dazed and in a complete state.

"Heeeeeeyyyyy!" He boomed, holding his arms open wide as he noticed her. "There's my snugglemoofin"

"Doctor..." River said dangerously.

"Ooh, somebody's angwy" He cooed, stumbling towards her and tapping her nose sloppily. "Why are you angwy Mrs Robinson?"

"You're drunk!" River screeched.

"Me? No!" He said adamantly.

"Why do I let you out?" She sighed, muttering to herself. "Doctor, DOCTOR, listen to me" She said sternly, holding him tightly by the arms "Where have you been?"

"I have been to the pub with your father, my sweet" He slurred.

"My father? You took my father to the pub! What? Wh...why?" She stammered "My mother has been worried sick about him for the past five hours! And I've been going out of my mind about where you've been! You said you'd follow us on and here we are seven hours later and congratu-bloody-lations you've finally rocked up completely sloshed!"

"You need to loosen up Mrs Robinson" He grinned, leaning forward and placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek as he trailed his lips lazily down to her mouth and down her neck "I can help you do that if you like" He smirked, placing his hands on her hips, but she shoved him back.

"I'm not having sex with you when you're like this" She said firmly and despite his current state, he backed off. "Now tell me, who else was at the pub with you? Because I don't for one second believe that in the spur of the moment, you went to Leadworth just to take my dad to the pub. Nor do I believe that it was his idea, or yours, to get so drunk. So who else was involved?"

"...What?" The Doctor said shortly after River had finished. He hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention. River rolled her eyes. "Oh! Oh! I know this one! Jackie was there too!"

"Jackie? Who's Jacki... you mean Jack?"

"That's the one!" He said excitedly, clicking his fingers at her.

"I should have guessed. Look, Lily's in the library, and I don't want her to see her father drunk, so you get in that kitchen and sober up NOW! I'm going to put our daughter to bed, and then I'll be in to find out what the hell you think you were playing at! And I want to have a half decent conversation with you instead of talking to a brick wall. Now go!" She boomed, pointing to the kitchen, and he sulkily padded his way to the kitchen.

River put her head in her hands and sighed deeply. Part of her was fuming that he could be so stupid, and part of her was so relieved that he was alright, if being absolutely wasted could be classed as 'alright'. But he was safe and sound and under her supervision now, so she was sure she could get the truth out of him to find out what really happened in his absence. River took a few moments to calm herself down before going to find her daughter to put her to bed. Lily went down easily and River waited a while before going in search of her husband. She tidied up after Lily and spent half an hour watching the television in the living room with Jenny. But she couldn't put it off any longer, and she reluctantly got up from the sofa and paced slowly towards the kitchen.

The Doctor sat in the dark with his head down on the kitchen table and two glasses of water and a big mug of strong coffee in front of him. He sighed and took a shaky sip of his coffee.

"Are you sober yet?" River asked from the doorway with her hands on her hips as she stared at the Doctor.

"Just about" He murmured, lifting his head to peer at her as she advanced towards him and drew up a chair to sit beside him.

"Good" She whispered, rubbing circles on his back.

"River..." He sighed.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" She asked sternly.

"I..." He began, but was cut off.

"I mean, you don't even drink... not to that extent anyway! Any why on earth did you let Jack hijack you into going to the pub? Any why did you think it was a good idea to get my father involved? My mother was worried sick about him! She thought he'd been kidnapped by Martians or something, one minute he was in the garden and the next he was gone! She was calling the TARDIS every five minutes to see if I knew anything. Honestly, don't you ever learn? Jack is not exactly the most sensible of adults..."

"River!" He snapped and she stared at him with raised eyebrows. "Sorry love, I didn't mean to snap, but I have a pounding headache and I could really do without you going off on one"

"Well it's your own stupid fault"

"I know" He sighed. "And if I can get a word in edgeways I can answer your questions"

"Sorry" She replied as she gently placed her hand on her husband's thigh. "Go on my love"

"I was going to come back to the TARDIS via your vortex manipulator" He paused, and then murmured under his breath "Despite it being a rubbish way to travel"

"Oi!"

"Anyway... after the appointment I just wanted to speak to Jack briefly, then I was going to rejoin you and the girls in the TARDIS"

"I know sweetie, I was there for that bit" She patted his thigh patronisingly.

"Right... yeah, of course you were" He laughed. "But Rex interrupted us and invited us to go to the pub with him, Mickey and Rhys. And... naturally I declined"

"I'm sure" She replied, rolling her eyes.

"I did!" He protested. "But Jack and the others press-ganged me into going and we headed into Cardiff and after that... well, I don't really remember what happened. I think I vaguely recall playing a drinking game with Jack and Rhys, and then muttering something about Rory before Jack decided it would be nice to invite him. So we travelled by Jack's vortex manipulator to Leadworth and sort of... kidnapped him from his garden and enrolled him in all the drinking... shenanigans"

"...I wish I hadn't asked" River sighed.

"Yeah. And I might have accidently spoken a little more about our sex life than was absolutely necessary" He mumbled.

"Oh god..." River put her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry"

"I should think so"

"I was very irresponsible"

"No change there then" River chuckled, winking at the Doctor. "But your behaviour _was_ inexcusable. But..." She took a deep breath and the Doctor looked hopeful. "I'm prepared to look past it just this once if you remove that atrocious fez immediately, call up my parents tomorrow morning and apologise to them and promise not to get so ridiculously blind drunk again unless I'm involved and a shag is on the cards"

"I promise" He laughed, whipping the fez off his head and leaning in to kiss her softly before placing the fez on her head. When they pulled apart she scowled at him and he quickly removed the fez before she did some serious damage with her gun.

River rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder and kissed his cheek before saying quietly "You need to go and say goodnight to Lily"

"Sure" He grinned, before kissing her affectionately and getting up to leave. He wobbled on his feet a little before regaining his balance. "Thank you for being so understanding"

"I wouldn't call it understanding sweetie... for want of a better word I'd go with tolerance" She smiled and winked at him from her seat "Besides, I know how _persuasive_ Jack can be sometimes"

"River...?" The Doctor warned, glaring at her with narrow eyes. She simply chuckled.

"Spoilers sweetie"

"Ugh" He scoffed. "River..."

"Go on, hurry up and get to that daughter of ours. She's waiting for you! I promised her that her daddy would be in to say goodnight" River said, shooing him out the door.

"Of course, can't keep madam waiting can we now?" He laughed, scurrying out of the door and down the corridors to his daughter's room.

The Doctor hurried down through the corridors to his daughter's room, pushing past the pounding in his head. Like River said, it was his own stupid fault. When the Doctor reached Lily's room, he tapped gently on the door and poked his head round.

"Knock, knock" He smiled, entering the room fully as Lily sat up in her bed and smiled at him. "Daddy's home now poppet. I've come to say goodnight"

He advanced to the bed and pulled the duvet up around her and kissed her forehead softly, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"There you go sweetheart, all snugly" He smiled. "Goodnight" he whispered, before turning to leave.

"Daddy" Lily whispered through the darkness, as she sat up in her bed again. The Doctor spun on his heels to face his daughter and paced back towards the bed and sat down.

"Yes?" He asked softly, slightly concerned by the worry fretting her little face.

"Daddy, are you and mummy going to get a divorce?" She muttered, looking at him with big eyes.

"What!" He choked out. "No! No, sweetheart, why would you think that?"

"Because you fight with her a lot" She whispered sadly.

"Oh darling, that doesn't mean I'm going to leave mummy, or mummy is going to leave me" He replied reassuringly, tucking an errant curl behind her ear.

"Do you love mummy?" She asked after an awkward pause in their conversation.

"Of course I do!" He protested.

"Then why do you argue?" She whined, the complications of marriage clearly muddling her intellect.

"Because that's what married people do sometimes sweetheart" He replied gently.

"But married people are supposed to love each other, right?"

"Right" He nodded.

"And you love mummy?"

"Yes, I do. Very much" He smiled kindly.

"And you say married people argue sometimes?"

"Yes, they do"

"But arguing is bad, right?"

"Right" He nodded again.

"So why would you argue with someone you love? And why would some people divorce someone they've married? You only marry people you love, and if you love them, why would you divorce them?"

"Oh, we're full of big questions tonight aren't we?" He smiled, kissing her forehead tenderly.

"Answer me daddy" She said sternly, folding her arms.

"Alright bossy!" He laughed. "Well... sometimes people marry people they think they love, but the marriage doesn't always work out. And that's just the way it goes sometimes I'm afraid" He said solemnly.

"Then, how do you know you and mummy will stay married?" She asked uncertainly.

"Because I love your mummy very much and I would never want to let her go" The Doctor replied, stroking his daughter's hair kindly, reassuring her that she needn't worry.

"Ok" She whispered after she decided she was satisfied with his answers.

"That alright? Have I answered all your big, complicated, grown-up questions?" He smiled.

"Yes" She grinned.

"Good" He stood up and began tucking the duvet around her again as she sunk back into the pillows. "Time for sleep now I think poppet" He smiled kindly, leaning over her to place a soft kiss to her forehead once more before turning to face the door and switching out the light. "Night night sweetheart"

The Doctor closed the door gently behind him, but as soon as he turned round he bumped into River, who was standing right outside the door with her arms folded, and went stumbling to the side a little, struggling to gain his balance. River grabbed his arm swiftly and held him upright, and when she was sure he was alright, she let go and returned to her pose.

"How much did you hear?" He sighed, gesturing to Lily's room.

"Enough"

"Sorry" He muttered. "I know I shouldn't be discussing things like that with her. But she did ask"

"I know. I heard"

"River, what are you looking at me like that for? Have I done something wrong?"

"What, besides get absolutely wasted, insult me, slur about our private life to our friends and my father, get my mother furious with you and lead our daughter to believe we're splitting up?" She raised her eyebrows.

"I said I was sorry" He replied sulkily.

"I know" She replied softly before opening her arms to him and he stepped towards her contently as she held him in her arms for a few moments as he rested his head on her shoulder and nuzzled the base of her neck affectionately. "And I said I forgive you"

"Thank you" He responded as they parted. "I am really sorry for getting so drunk, it was silly and it won't happen again"

"I should think so. You better watch it though... or I might present you with those divorce papers" She chuckled and he smiled faintly.

"In all seriousness though, River, you know I would never want to divorce you, right?" He said tenderly, taking her hands in his.

"I know. I never want our marriage to end either sweetie"

"I am never letting you go River Song" He grinned encircling her with his arms.

"Good, because there's nowhere else I'd rather be"

He held her in his arms for a few moments and swept his thumbs across her cheekbones before cupping her cheeks in his hands and bringing her lips to his softly. They pulled apart slowly and smiled at each other warmly. River brushed a hand through his mop of dishevelled brunette hair and then held out her hand for him to take.

"Come on, let's go to bed sweetie. A good night's sleep is all you need, and you'll feel much better tomorrow" She grinned as he took her hand and they walked down the corridor towards their bedroom with the Doctor stumbling over his feet every once in a while.

**Please leave a comment if you have the time! It would make my Christmas! :) x**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** I don't think I'm very good at writing drunk Doctor! Haha :) But there you go, I really wanted to attempt it, and sorry if it's very out of character but he is drunk so... you know! Haha :) ****I also just wanna say that ALL of you who read this fic are so amazing and thank you for sticking with it this far! It really means a lot to me to know that you are enjoying it and I just want to take this opportunity to say how happy you;ve made me over the past few months and that I love you all so much and I know I don't say it enough, but THANK YOU SO MUCH! **


	31. One flew out of the cuckoo's nest

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Last update of this year! Wow, it feels weird to be saying that... but there will be more chapters next year (again, weird to say) but yeah, more chapters will be coming very soon. Enjoy! :) **

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: One flew out of the cuckoo's nest**

_(24 Weeks [6 months] Pregnant) _

"DOOOCCCTTTTOOORRRR!" River yelled from the living room, clutching her swollen belly with one hand and supporting herself on the wall with the other.

Her voice echoed through the lonely TARDIS corridors and within seconds the Doctor came speeding down the corridors, calling out her name frantically as his gangly limbs went flying all over the place in a flurry of panic. He waved his sonic screwdriver from left to right, scanning the place for danger as he searched for his wife, poking his head into every room until he found her. He raced to her side and started flapping his arms about anxiously, trying to work out what he was supposed to do.

"River, what... what is it? What's wrong? River? River? River, are you ok? Is the baby ok?" He asked frantically, eyes darting about the room to check for any possible threats. "What happened?" He questioned, once he was satisfied there was no danger present.

"Sweetie, give me your hand" She smiled holding out her hand to take his.

He looked at her warily, wondering whether she was playing a sly trick on him and was going to launch an attack the minute his guard was down. He paused to examine the situation through narrow eyes. River scoffed and rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand and placing it on her belly before he could protest.

"Feel this. The baby's kicking" She said softly, grinning in response to his widening smile as he felt their baby kicking violently against River's stomach.

"Wow..." He began, but was cut off by another big kick from their child. "River, that's..."

"I know..." She whispered, pressing her forehead against his. "It all just feels so real now" She sighed contently, and the Doctor slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, kissing the tip of her nose and then pulling her in for a loving kiss as River wrapped her hands around the nape of his neck, pulling him closer.

Suddenly, Jenny appeared in the doorway and coughed gently to grab their attention. They turned reluctantly to face her, still entangled in each other's arms.

"Always an interruption" River sighed, and the Doctor simply smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple before untangling himself and entwining his fingers with hers as they stood beside each other.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, I just wanted to talk to you both about something" Jenny said nervously, hopping from one foot to the other in the doorway.

"That's alright sweetie, come in" River smiled, gesturing to her. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Um... well, I sort of have some news" She muttered, wandering aimlessly around the room as she spoke.

"Oh?" River questioned, moving to sit beside Jenny, who had now positioned herself on the couch, but still appeared to be rather restless. "And what might that be?"

"Well... you see, the thing is... the Luna University have been in touch and they've offered me a place on a couple of their courses. But it would mean that I'd have to leave for University in a few of days if I wanted to accept their offer" Jenny said quickly, breathing a sigh of relief that it was now out in the open.

There was silence.

"...say something" Jenny murmured, looking helplessly from the face of one shell-shocked parent to the other.

"Um... it's a little sudden isn't it dear?" River whispered, a little lost for words as she took Jenny's hands in her own.

"Yeah, I know" She replied solemnly, looking down at her hands. "Except I've actually known about it for a few weeks now, I've been pondering over it for ages, deciding whether to go or not. I wanted to tell you, but there was never a good time, something always got in the way. But I should have told you sooner and given you more warning, I'm sorry"

"Don't be" River smiled kindly, brushed a strand of her long blonde hair out of her eyes before pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Have you decided if you're going to go? Are you... um, are you going to accept their offer?"

"Yes. I am"

"Oh, I see. Well, that's good!" River replied gently, squeezing Jenny's hands tightly, trying to cheer her up. "Don't look so sad, it's great news... isn't it?"

"I am making the right choice aren't I, mum?" She looked up at River, her eyes wide, desperately searching for guidance.

"Yes. Yes of course you are. It's a great opportunity for you, one that you should definitely take darling" She said adamantly, before pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, reassuring her she was making the right decision. "I studied at the Luna University, and I can assure that it's an amazing place and you'll have a great time! You'll meet new people, and you'll be able to get some independence, and learn new things"

"Yeah, you're right"

"What will you be studying?"

"I've chosen Archaeology and Time Travel" Came the reply.

"Like mother like daughter" River winked.

"So, you're ok with this then?" Jenny asked, feeling a little insecure again. "You're ok with me leaving?

"It's brilliant news. Oh, but I'm gonna miss you so much" River sighed, pulling her into another big hug, and rocking back and forth with her on the couch. "But I want you to be happy sweetheart, that's what matters the most. And if going to the Luna University will make you happy, then you go for it"

"Thank you mum. I am really excited about it" She grinned.

"I'm glad. We're very happy for you" River smiled feebly, before turning her head to look at her husband. "Aren't we, Doctor?"

He was frozen, standing as still as a statue with the shock still plastered to his face.

"Sweetie? We're happy for her aren't we?" She repeated, raising her eyebrows at him expectantly and shooting him an intense stare as if to tell him to get his act together.

"No!" He shouted, and River and Jenny looked at him in shock. "But... you can't be leaving. You only just got here!" He began to raise his voice. "YOU CAN'T JUST GO OFF TO UNIVERSITY WITHOUT GIVING US A PROPER WARNING! YOU... YOU CAN'T JENNY! AND TO STUDY 'ARCHAEOLOGY' OF ALL THINGS! FOR GOD'S SAKE" He bellowed before stomping his way out of the room in a sulk.

"DAD PLEASE...!" Jenny called out desperately to her father, but it was no use.

Jenny looked very disheartened at her father's outburst, and after River had finished reassuring her that he was just adjusting to the news, and would be completely fine after he'd had time to take it all in, she got up from her seat, leaving Jenny alone to mull over the situation, which had just been made worse than it needed to be, and went in search of her husband to give him a decent verbal thrashing to straighten him out.

She found him, no more than ten minutes later, sulking in the library, all curled up in a ball and struggling as he tried to read a one of Agatha Christie's novels to take his mind off the situation. She took a deep breath and stormed over to him, snatching the book from his hands and tossing it brutally to the floor in a fit of rage.

"Oi! That's my favourite, a bit of respect if you don't mind" He yelled in protest.

"Oh get up you idiot" She snarled, grabbing his wrists and pulling him to his feet. "You really are quite something Doctor"

"Thank you"

"It wasn't a compliment" She snapped back sharply. "That outburst was totally uncalled for! The poor girl was already feeling insecure about leaving, and you've just made her feel ten times worse!"

"Well I'm sorry about that" He said snidely. "But she just sprung this on us and expected us to be ok with it!"

"Well why shouldn't we be? We're her parents, we should be happy for her!" River said sternly.

"But she's leaving! You don't understand River, I've already lost her once and now I'm losing her again!"

"Look" She took his hand gently, now understanding what his real problem was with her going "Jenny is going to University, she's growing up. Whether you like it or not, it's happening, so you need to start accepting that. I understand that you don't want her to go, neither do I. But she wants to. And that is far more important than our feelings. This is just something she needs to do, sweetie. Surely you understand that. You'll see her again, she'll be popping back before you know it!"

"I don't know, River. I'm not sure if..."

"Sweetie" River cut him off suddenly "even if you're not ok with this, you need to pretend you are. For Jenny's sake. Please"

"River, how can you be ok with this?" He asked, begging her almost, for some advice on how to cope with it all.

"Because I know how hard it is to leave everyone you love behind and to go off, by yourself, on an unknown adventure" She replied softly, looking deep into his eyes, age-old and still full of sadness and loss.

"Won't you miss her?" He asked gently, not breaking the gaze their eyes had formed.

"Of course! But she wants to do this, and I'll support her all the way, even if it means I won't get to see her everyday. And you'd be wise to do the same, my love"

"Ok" He exhaled all the tension he had been withholding.

"I want you to go into the living room, apologise to our daughter and reassure her that you're perfectly alright with her decision and will support her in her choices" Said River, holding her head up. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yes ma'am" He gave a light-hearted salute to her before padding back towards the living room.

River sighed, relieved she had managed to sort out at least one mess, before following her husband back to the living room where Jenny was sitting with her head in her hands, regretting pretty much everything she had said. River watched warily from the doorway as the Doctor sat down beside Jenny, apologised to her and reassured her he was fine, just as River had instructed him to do. She wasn't sure whether or not he was being honest with his daughter, but suffice to say it was enough to put River at ease, and Jenny too it seemed, as seconds later the Doctor was embracing his daughter and wishing her well on her University adventure. He warned her not to do anything stupid, at which point River couldn't help but butt in with a response of "She'll be a student sweetie, of course she's going to do a few stupid things. I certainly did! Just let her have fun, stop being such an uptight father!". They had laughed it off, and the Doctor, now feeling much more relaxed about the whole situation, had allowed Jenny to actually give him details about the University she was going to be studying at, despite him already knowing some information from way back when he had visited River at University.

"You'll be back when the baby's born?" River asked, somewhat anxiously.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss that for the world!" Jenny smiled warmly.

Suddenly, the conversation turned, all at the mention of one name.

"How am I going to tell Lily I'm leaving?" Jenny queried, looking down at her lap solemnly. "She'll be so upset. I don't think I can do that to her... I don't think I can tell her"

"You'll find a way sweetheart, and we'll help you. Just make sure you do it gently, and it should be alright. She'll understand" River replied comfortingly, placing her arms around her daughter and pressing a kiss into her hair.

**...[TWO DAYS LATER]...**

"Bye darling" Said River as she pulled Jenny into a hug.

The Songs stood by the TARDIS door, preparing to say goodbye to Jenny before she headed off to University for a while. Her suitcases surrounded them and the Doctor held Lily in his arms, balancing her on his hip with his arm clasped around her upper body to keep her up, and using his other hand to brush away the small tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Here, have these" River smiled, handing Jenny her vortex manipulator and her sonic screwdriver, the one Doctor had given her at Darillium. "You might need them"

"Mum are you sure? Dad gave this to you, it's really special to you"

"I know, but I don't really need it anymore. So as long as you promise to keep it safe for me, it's yours" River winked at her daughter before placing a kiss to her forehead.

"But won't you need your vortex manipulator?" She questioned, a look of innocence on her beautiful face.

"No, it's alright, you take it" She lent forwards closing most of the gap between them so she could whisper to her daughter. "I've got a spare one tucked away somewhere in case of emergencies, but don't tell your father or he'll confiscate it!" River pressed a finger to her lips and Jenny chuckled before mimicking her actions.

"What's all this then?" The Doctor inquired, stepping towards them after placing Lily back down on the ground. "Honestly River, she's already studying archaeology, and now you want her to travel via vortex manipulator too? Could you corrupt our daughter any more than you already have?"

"Shut up sweetie" River smiled, pecking his cheek and stepping back so her husband could say his goodbyes.

"Bye Jenny" He grinned, pulling her into an embrace before releasing her and smiling at her once more before stroking her hair affectionately. "Don't do anything stupid while you're away, no matter how hard your mother tries to encourage you to 'have some fun' as she calls it" He mimicked her, using air quotes and pulling a stupid face, and making his daughter laugh.

"Are you talking about me?" River interrupted, looking at them with raised eyebrows and they turned round to look at her, failing to hide their guilty expressions and their laughter.

"No, no, dear. Just giving Jenny some fatherly advice" He grinned at her and she dismissed him with a roll of her eyes.

"Work hard darling" He said, before stepping back. "See you soon"

Then it came to Lily's turn.

Jenny bent down to her little sister's level and enveloped her tightly in her arms, stroking her hair and pressing kisses into her curls. Lily began to cry in her arms and Jenny shushed her softly.

"Hey, hey, Lily, it'll be ok. I'll be back before you know it, and I promise I'll call you all the time!" Jenny reassured her, tapping her sister's nose and making her giggle. "I'm gonna miss you so much Lily"

"I'll miss you too" Lily whined.

"Be good for mum and dad won't you?" She smiled. "Stop them from getting up to too much mischief" She winked at her sister and pulled her into a hug again. "Oh, and don't let dad wear a fez!"

"I won't" She smiled through her tears.

"Love you"

"Love you too"

She let go of her sister and the Doctor picked up his youngest daughter again, as his eldest began to collect her bags, tapping the co-ordinates of the Luna University into her newly acquired vortex manipulator, and after one last goodbye, a bright white light flashed before their eyes, and in a spark and a puff of smoke, Jenny was gone.

**...[LATER]...**

"Come here" The Doctor whispered as River shuffled closer to him and nestled herself on his chest. The Doctor kissed the top of her head softly and began to stroke her hair tenderly as he lay there deep in thought.

"She'll be alright you know" River said softly, brushing his hair off his face. "You don't need to worry about her"

"Who? Jenny? I know. I wasn't worrying"

"Yes you were. I can see it on your face. Ever since she told us she was leaving you been quieter, and I can see that it's been eating you alive just thinking and worrying that you're going to lose her again now she's gone off to University"

"That's very observant of you" He smiled.

"I'm your wife sweetie, I notice these things" She smiled back, kissing his cheek gently.

"Of course you do"

"Yes, of course! Of course I notice when the man I love is not ok" She replied, hugging him close to her body.

"Why do I even bother trying to hide things from you dear?" He smiled, leaning down to kiss her.

"I know you'll miss her. We all will" River said quietly. "But like she said, this is just something she has to do"

"I know" He replied, staring at the ceiling, then suddenly he looked to her, pressed a kiss amidst her curls and hugged her tight. "Thank you"

"I feel bad for Lily. She was distraught when Jenny told her. She didn't stop crying for hours. And this morning..." she closed her eyes in defeat "oh it was awful. She was in pieces as Jenny was leaving"

"Well they've become really close over the past few months Jenny's been with us"

"Yeah" She sighed.  
>"Thank you" He smiled.<p>

"What for?" She asked, chuckling slightly.

"I realised I never really thanked you properly for being Jenny's mother. All these months she's been with us, you've been great. You just accepted she was my daughter and carried on. River, you've been amazing" He grinned, kissing her affectionately.

"Oh sweetie, really it's no big deal. It's a pleasure" She smiled.

"Yes, yes it is! I don't know how many wives would accept that their husband had another daughter as quickly as you did. And not only that, you love her and respect her as you do your own biological daughter, and have such a great relationship with her that you treat her as your own and let her call you 'mum'. That is something quite remarkable my love. Thank you"

"Well she's a wonderful girl sweetie. I'm proud to call myself her mother"

"You are the most wonderful mother, River. You really are" He said as he started pecking at her cheek and peppering light kisses down her neck, shoulders and arms as River squealed and giggled with delight.

At that moment, the bedroom door creaked open and Lily stood in the doorway, clutching her special teddy-bear, that she only ever used when she was upset, and tears rolling down her cheeks. She watched from the doorway, but all she could see through the darkness was her parents cuddled in each other's arms. She waited for them to notice her, but when they didn't, she decided to call out to them.

"Mummy...?" She whispered sadly, and cautiously.

River, upon hearing the little voice, rolled over to face the doorway where her daughter was standing. She sighed, somewhat annoyed that they had been interrupted.

"Oh, Lily, you have to knock sweetie" River sighed, but trailed off when she noticed the tears that were streaming down her daughter's cheeks, glistening in the light from the corridors "Oh Lily darling, what's wrong?"

River sat up in her bed and opened her arms to her daughter, gesturing for her to come closer. Lily came running into the room and clutched her mother tightly as River shushed her softly, stroking her curls gently and placing soothing kisses on her head as she embraced her tightly in her arms. As they parted, River swept her thumb along her daughter's cheeks, brushing away her tears comfortingly.

"What happened, my love? Why are you crying?" She questioned softly.

"What's the matter poppet?" The Doctor asked, sitting up in the bed too, and leaning over his wife to reach out to his daughter.

"Come here" River smiled kindly, lifting up the corner of the duvet and then lifting her daughter into her arms and placing her safely under the covers next to her. She kissed her daughter on the forehead before nudging the Doctor to slide over to create more room in the bed.

River wrapped the duvet snugly around Lily, before settling next to her, resting on her elbow as she leant over her daughter. She gently brushed the tears away and tucked a lose curl behind her ear before placing a light kiss to her forehead again in reassurance.

"Sweetheart, tell mummy what happened" She asked calmly.

"I... I had a nightmare" She murmured miserably.

"Oh, that's ok!" She smiled. "We all have nightmares sometimes. It's ok, mummy's here now"

"And daddy!" The Doctor added, in a high, squeaky voice.

"Yes, and daddy" River chuckled. "See darling, nothing to worry about now"

"Everyone has nightmares poppet, even monsters!" The Doctor grinned.

"What do monsters have nightmares about?" Lily asked quietly.

"Me and mummy" The Doctor replied, winking at her, to which his daughter giggled in response.

"What was the nightmare about sweetie? Or do you not want to talk about it?" River asked, after she'd hit the Doctor on the arm playfully.

"It was about Jenny" She mumbled.

"Oh, I see"

"She left and I never got to see her again and then she was killed by the scary lady who hurt us before, and she was coming after me too"

"Oh dear, that _is_ a nasty dream isn't it sweetheart?" She replied soothingly, stroking her daughter's hair "But you're safe Lily, and so is Jenny, I promise you darling. And _I_ _swear_ that lady is _never_ coming after you or Jenny again. And as for Jenny, well... she'll be back before you know it. You'll see her very soon, I promise"

"...Ok" She whispered, satisfied with her mother's answer.

"Yeah? You ok now?" River asked gently, and Lily nodded her head. "Good girl" She leant down and kissed her daughter's forehead again. "Do you want to stay here with me and daddy for a little while sweetie?"

Lily nodded hesitantly, and River smiled kindly, wrapping the duvet snugly around her daughter again before sinking back into the pillows herself, resting her head on the Doctor's chest and reaching out her hand to hold her daughter's. Within minutes Lily was sound asleep again, holding River's hand tightly and clutching her teddy-bear with her other. The Doctor smiled at his wife and they looked at their beautiful daughter sleeping peacefully beside them, and before long, River too was asleep in his arms, and the Doctor just lay awake for a while, admiring his beautiful family and imagining all the amazing things his daughter was going to do at University.

**A review would be lovely :) **

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Hope you enjoyed that, and if you're worried that that's the last of Jenny, then don't be because I can assure you that she will return soon! I hope you all have a safe & happy new year, and I just want to say another big thank you for sticking with me this far. HAPPY NEW YEAR! xx**


	32. The privilege of being yours

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Hello! Sorry for the long wait! I had a really busy time at school, and I've been ill for a week so I haven't been able to get anything done! But here is the next chapter, which is pretty long :) **There are two songs used in this chapter, "A thousand Years" by Christina Perri, **and **"Turning Page" by Sleeping at last (and before you ask, no, I did not find out about them via Twilight! lol), But they are beautiful songs, and if you haven't heard them, then you should go and google them! They also work really well if you listen to them and read this chapter. ****Just an idea :) ****There are some lyrics in this chapter which are in italics by the way!** Anyway, hope you enjoy! **

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes! Oh! And song lyrics/songs etc, are NOT mine, I don't own them at all. **_

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: The privilege of being yours **

_(28 Weeks [7 months] Pregnant) _

"Ok River, Lily's at the Pond's for the night, and Amy said we can pick her up in the morning, so we're on our own for the night" The Doctor beamed, calling out to his wife as he strolled through the TARDIS corridors in search of her. "River? River... where are you?"

"I'm in the play room" She called back to him, her beautiful voice ringing all around him, and enveloping him in the delicious, rich sound.

He strode into the play room, following the sound of River's voice that was tumbling towards him, and sighed upon finding her tidying away crayons and toys and wiping down the table to rid the surface of the paint stains Lily had left there earlier that day. He walked swiftly over to her and pressed his body against her and wrapped his arms around her middle. He kissed her shoulder blade and nuzzled the back of her neck. He sighed contently, but she continued to wipe down the surface, fighting the urge to relax into his embrace.

"Sweetie" River chuckled lightly, attempting to shrug him off as she continued to sweep the cloth across the surface. "Now's not the time"

"Mrs Song, now is _exactly_ the time. Jenny's at university, and Lily's away for the night. We're all alone, nobody to disturb us" He smirked into the skin of her shoulder.

"Well maybe later then, if you behave, but I'm cleaning right now" She replied softly, and he groaned quietly.

"River" He whined. "You've been doing that all day. Give it a rest for a while"

"I haven't actually. I had to do the laundry, wash the dishes, cook the dinner, tidy up your hat collection, tidy up after Lily..."

"Ok, ok, I see your point. You've been busy" He smiled. "Well then, why don't I finish up in here for you"

"Oh sweetie, I appreciate the offer, but the likelihood of you spilling paint on the carpet, and yourself, and making more mess than there was to begin with, is very high"

"River, go and get dressed up, and I will finish your cleaning" He insisted.

"Dressed up for what?" She inquired, pausing in her tracks.

"Date Night" He said brightly.

"What?" She smiled, turning her head so she could see him out of the corner of her eye.

"Date Night" He repeated. "It's where two people go on a date or spend time together, River"

"I know that sweetie, but why are we doing it?" She asked, turning to face him and dropping the cloth from her hand and resting her palms flat against his chest.

"Because we haven't much time alone together recently, and things have happened lately that have got in the way, or we've been interrupted when we tried to be intimate, and I thought that while Lily was at her grandparent's for the night, if would be a good opportunity for us to spend some quality time together" He replied, cupping her cheeks in his hands and smiling lovingly at her.

"It's kind of silly though, love" She furrowed her brow.

"No it's not" He defended.

"Yes it is! Sweetie, we don't need to do fancy date stuff to have a nice evening together"

"But it's nice to get all dressed up and have a romantic evening together, isn't it? I thought you'd like it" He looked a little disheartened. "I'm sorry"

"Don't be!" She quickly interjected. "You are so thoughtful" She placed a soft kiss on his lips. "and so sweet" And then another. "to think of it, but I don't need to dress up to have a good time. In fact, I think of plenty of things we can do that don't involve dressing up at all, quite the opposite actually" She smirked, straightening his bowtie and letting her fingers dance down his chest. He gulped at the thought of her suggestion.

"We can do that later" His voice trembled a little, and he cleared his throat. "Come on, just humour me. I've already arranged it all, all you have to do is get changed. Do it for me? You can give me your verdict at the end of the evening. And if you don't like it, I will never again attempt such romance. Of course, if you don't even want to give it a go, and you'd rather stay here cleaning up dried paint splodges than having a night of romance with your husband, then so be it"

"Well... seeing as it's all arranged, I might as well let you treat me" She smirked. "But I'm only doing this for you, dear" She laughed.

"Good enough for me" He replied, pulling her close again for a quick kiss. "Now go and get ready and I'll finish up here. And before you say anything, I promise I won't make a mess. I'll just wipe off the dry paint and leave it. Ok?"

"Ok" She smiled, before pecking his cheek and turning to leave.

The Doctor made light work of the chores and before long he was finished, and still had time to spare before River was ready, to change into his tuxedo and make the final preparations of his romantic evening for her. He wanted to surprise her, treat her and spend time with her. He'd been missing the intimate time they usually spent together and he wanted to take this opportunity to make up for all that. After about half an hour or so, the Doctor appeared in the corridor outside their bedroom, standing nervously in his tuxedo, that he hadn't worn since Darillium. He stood in his smart black trousers and shiny black shoes, with his crisp white shirt and black bowtie, rubbing his hands together excitedly, before knocking lightly on the bedroom door.

"River? Are you ready?" He asked timidly.

"Yeah" Came the reply, and the door swung open and his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight of her before him.

She wore a striking black pencil shift dress, designed to fit her perfectly at this stage of her pregnancy, with frill detail on the short sleeves, an exposed zip at the back and a tie back waist, tied in a perfect bow, that stopped in the middle of her thighs and flattered her beautiful figure and bump perfectly. She had paired the dress with black, patent platforms and blood-red lipstick, which matched her perfect scarlet nails and her hair had been lightly tousled to add more volume to her mane of fabulous golden curls. She raised her eyebrows as he stood there motionless, taking in the sight of her. It had been a long time since he'd seen his wife this dressed up, and he'd almost forgotten how his hearts skipped a beat, and how furiously his stomach fluttered every time she did. He'd practically forgotten how she had that special ability to render him incapable of uttering a single word in her presence. Oh, but he loved it. She smiled lovingly and held out her hands for him to take and he slotted his fingers in between hers.

"You still find me attractive then?"

"What? River, of course I do!" He protested. "Why would you think that I didn't?"

"I don't know. I've been wearing a lot of jodhpurs and leggings and your loose shirts recently, and I just thought... I don't know, maybe you weren't that attracted to me" She shrugged. "I'm seven months pregnant; I've not been feeling all that beautiful as of late"

"River" He sighed. "It doesn't matter what you wear, I don't care, you're pregnant, you wear whatever you like, as long as you're comfortable, that's all that matters to me. I think you're beautiful, no matter what"

She pulled him in for a soft kiss, and as they parted, he put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a single red rose and handed it to her. She narrowed her eyes and started quizzically at it for moment before saying "How did you fit this in that tiny pocket of yours?"

"Bigger on the inside" He grinned.

"Of course" She rolled her eyes and he took her hand and led her down the corridors to a room she'd never seen before.

She looked at him, puzzled, but he simply grinned and gestured for her to turn the handle. She reached out her hand, the suspense killing her, so she flung the door open wide, and the sight that was on the other side, took her breath away.

"Oh, Doctor" She gasped, her hands clasped over her mouth as her eyes roamed over the room.

It was one of the most beautiful things River had ever seen. The garden room. It was stunning and it was huge, you could have walked around it for hours, getting lost amidst the shrubbery. There was beautiful emerald green grass covering the floor, and a clean cobbled patio with a round table and two chairs seated opposite each other. There were beautiful flowers, towering trees creating a leafy canopy for them to walk under, fake stars and a shimmering turquoise lagoon. The garden was lit with candles, lanterns and fairy-lights were strung from trees. Tears began to roll slowly down River's cheeks and the Doctor started to worry and rushed to her side, flapping around her worriedly.

"River, River, sweetheart, why are you crying?" He asked softly, brushing away her tears. "Did I... did I do something wrong?"

"No, no. I'm happy" She smiled, sniffing and composing herself. "So, how did the room get here? I've never seen it before"

"I asked the TARDIS to create a garden room for us, seeing as we didn't have one. I know we have plenty of rooms, but I wanted somewhere for the children to play and somewhere where we could spend time as a family or time alone. There are swings if you go past that hedge over there, and there's an oak tree over there, and there's a switch on the door so you can change the sky between day and night. There's a small blue lagoon in the corner, and tables and chairs and a hammock! A hammock, River! Isn't it cool!" He grinned, taking her by the hands and pulling her with him as they explored the garden. They quickly came to a halt and the Doctor held River close to his body.

"You... you did all this?"

"Well, technically the TARDIS made it, but I designed it, yes" River didn't say anything, just stared at him. "River? River... what do you think? Do you like it" He asked nervously.

"I... I love it. It's beautiful. It's just... it's perfect" She whispered, wrapping her arms around the Doctor's neck and pulling him into a passionate kiss.

"Good, I'm glad you like it, because this is where we're spending the evening" His lips crept into a smile as they parted "Look" River turned her head to look at the small circular dining table draped over with a red table-cloth, decorated with flowers and candles as well as cutlery and a readymade dinner. He took her hand and led her towards the table, pulling the chair out for her and checking she was comfortable before slinking off his jacket and putting it carefully over the back of his chair and taking his own seat opposite her.

As he smiled lovingly at her from across the table, he took a second to reach over and kiss her hand before he began to consume his food. River eyed him carefully, her eyes sparkling with nothing but love for this incredible man. Sometimes she couldn't get her head around how thoughtful and attentive he was, loving, and nothing but generous. And the way that he just would not rest until she was comfortable and content made her feel so special and loved. Just his smile made her want to go weak at the knees, and the pure look of admiration in his eyes was enough to make her hearts melt. She often wondered how one man, one _amazing_ man, could be so perfect in every single way. He looked up from his plate to see her just sitting there motionless and staring at him. He furrowed his brow.

"River, love, are you gonna eat that?" He asked softly.

"Oh... yeah, yeah" She nodded, being snatched from her reverie by his voice.

"I can get you something else if you don't want it"

"No, no, really sweetie, it's ok" She smiled as she began to pick at a piece of salad with her fork.

"Are you alright?" He asked attentively, reaching for her hand from across the table.

"Ye... I... yeah... I just, oh, I just don't deserve you, my love" She sighed, prodding the lettuce with her cutlery and avoiding his gaze. He used his index finger to gently tilt her chin up so she was looking at him.

"What? Why not? I'm nothing special, River. If anything, _I_ don't deserve _you_"

"Don't be ridiculous. You are so perfect. You look after me, and love me, and you're a brilliant dad. And I am so lucky to have you as my husband. You're so attentive and affectionate, and I'm just me"

"Oh... no" He sighed, cupping her cheeks in his hands. "You are my beautiful River. And don't you ever, _ever_ let yourself feel like you're not good enough. Because you are. You are more than _just good enough_. I love you so much, ok?" He smiled warmly at her and leant over to kiss her forehead, before settling back in his seat and beginning to take small mouthfuls of his food again.

"But, I'm not the same woman you married"

"What do you mean? Of course you are!" He protested.

"No, I'm not. When you married me I was a mysterious, gun toting, time travelling archaeologist. But I'm not really any of that anymore. I'm Mrs Song. I'm a mother. I do domestic things now" She sighed, taking a small mouthful of chicken and shrugging her shoulders dismissively.

"River, you sound like you don't like this – what we have going on now. Is there a problem, love?"

"It's not that. I do like it. I love this life we have together. I'm just worried about how you feel about me now, after everything. I just... I haven't been feeling all that great about myself recently" She said solemnly.

"Hey, River, look, I love you no matter what. I didn't marry you because of the guns or the mystery. I married you for you, and because I loved you. I still do, and I always will. You're still the same woman, you're still a perfect shot with a gun, and you're still a professor of archaeology, you're still you're still my River, but all that stuff is a side of you that you don't necessarily always have to use in this new life we have. And I don't mind. River, I like this new life we have, actually, _I love it_. And yes, we've both changed, but for the better"

"So, you don't mind that our life isn't running around, chasing after creatures and saving the world"

"No. Because I have something much better" He grinned, attempting to reassure her. But she was having none of it, and continued to voice her doubts.

"But won't you ever get bored of this life? Being all domestic like this? I mean... what happens when you want to leave this life and go off and see the stars and have adventures again, but you can't because you've got a wife and kids trapping you here?" Her voice was weak and her expression was sombre.

"River, love, what do you mean _'when I want to leave'_?" He looked at her in disbelief, so stunned by what she had said. "I am never going to leave you or our children! I would never, _ever _do that to you, or to them. It hurts me that you'd think I would"

"I'm sorry" She whispered. "But you've left me so many times before. I always have doubts in the back of my mind that you're going to do it again"

"H... how? Why...? I don't understand, River. All this time, the eight years we've been married, the home we have, the things we've been through, after _all_ that, you still believe that one day you're gonna wake up and I'll be gone?"

"... Yes"

"Oh, River" He sighed.

"I'm sorry, my love"

"How can you doubt my faithfulness after all this time" He replied, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, I really am. It's just one of my worst fears. That my children won't have their father around and I'll have to do all this alone" She murmured.

The Doctor shook his head again, and stood up abruptly, throwing down his napkin onto the seat and stepping out. River look horrified, believing she had upset him and as he looked set on walking to the door and leaving, she began to protest, but he stopped and knelt down on one knee next to where she was sitting on her chair, and he took her hand gently in his.

"River, I swear, I am never going to leave you. I've lost so many people, and I don't want to lose you. I wouldn't run away from my responsibilities, not now. I don't know why you think that I would, but _I promise you_, you will never have to do _any_ of this alone. I'm not going anywhere Mrs Song. You're stuck with me" He smiled, kissing her hand before helping her to her feet.

She enveloped him in her arms, letting her face fall into the crook of his neck as he held her as tightly as he could without hurting her and nuzzled his nose in her golden locks and pressed a firm, reassuring kiss amidst them. When they parted, they held each other's hands for a few moments before taking their seats again.

"But, your adventures... won't you miss them?" She asked softly.

"No, because I get to have the biggest adventures right here" He grinned ecstatically. "Being a husband, and being a father, brings the best adventures I could ever have!" He laughed. "I don't care how domestic, how normal, how _human_, this life of ours is now, because I love every second of it. I love you and our children so much. And I love teaching them things and telling them stories of our travels. I love watching them grow and learn and having fun with them. I love that I get to pass on everything I've learned to them, and that I get to see the same old universe, that I've seen a thousand times over, through their eyes. And it's all new and exciting to them. And I love getting to share it all with you. And... and you know what I think I love the most, River? I love hearing Lily call us mum and dad. I still can't get past how... how _amazing_ it feels to have someone call you that. And, even though I've been a father before, I lost my children before they were really old enough to talk properly. And you have no idea, how lucky I feel to have another chance to experience it all" He smiled, his voice a little quieter at the mention of his losses, but he was still buzzing from the feeling of finally admitting to his wife just how much he adored what they had.

"I... I didn't know you liked being a father that much" She replied softly, and slightly stunned, but she allowed the corners of her mouth to creep upwards into a loving smile.

"River..." He began, reaching for her hands. "Marrying you, and having a family with you, is the best thing that I've ever done. I can't thank you enough for how much you've taught me and how much you've given me. Just... don't worry about the change in our lifestyle, ok? Because you have no idea how much I love what we have right now" He grinned, entwining his fingers with hers, kissing her hands and wrists.

She felt the emotion overwhelming her, whether it was down to certain pregnancy hormones or his beautiful words, she wasn't sure, and she didn't really care. He had put her completely at ease, once again. She smiled weakly, the tears clouding her eyes as she blinked them back. He tenderly swept away the small tears with his thumbs. Suddenly the TARDIS started playing the melody of _"A thousand Years" _at a soft volume, and River smiled warmly and carefully stood up from her seat.

"Dance with me?" River asked quietly, holding out her hand, palm upwards, for him to take.

"No, River" The Doctor replied gently, refusing her offer politely and remaining in his seat "I don't dance"

"You danced at our wedding" She said matter-of-factly, raising an eyebrow at him.

"That's different, I always dance at weddings" He responded.

"Please? Dance with me?" She asked again, offering her hand again. When he looked a little lost she sighed and let out a small chuckle "Oh, just dance with your pregnant wife"

"Alright" He grinned, allowing River to pull him up.

They moved to stand in the middle of the grass, canopied by the jade of the trees up above them and surrounded by the deep blue sky and the stars, blazing, twinkling, shining, all around them. River soon forgot that the garden was no more than a conception from the TARDIS, and not an authentic natural formation. But she didn't mind. The Doctor put one arm around her waist and the other around her back as he held her close. River put her arms around her husband's neck and let her face fall to the crook of his neck and she closed her eyes in pure ecstasy as they sway together in time to the music.

"_I have died every day, waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you. For a thousand years, I love you for a thousand more"_ River hummed quietly along with the song that she found so fitting to them. The Doctor smiled and stroked her hair and pressed a kiss on the crown of her head.

_Time has brought your heart to me; I have loved you for a thousand years. I love you for a thousand more._

River's fingers curled into the soft cotton of his shirt and she nuzzled her face deeper into his shoulder as she felt him pull her a little closer and hold her a little tighter as they continued to sway together.

"So, do you like the idea of date night yet, River Song?" The Doctor asked gently as he relaxed in her embrace.

"What, quality time alone with my hubby, what's not to like?" She grinned.

"Hubby?" He furrowed his brow. "When did I become your _hubby_?

"From the moment you said 'I do'. That's generally how it works" She replied, patronising him a little.

"Well, yes, I know that, but you've never called me '_hubby'_ before" He replied, hiding a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's all... earthy and... strange"

"Sorry, I won't say it again" She replied quietly, nestling on his chest, her big eyes looking up at him.

"No, it's ok, I like it" He smiled, brushing a strand of hair off her face.

"Oh, ok then" She responded, lowering her voice a little as she whispered "Hubby"

"What do I call you?" He pondered, frowning at her. "Wifey?"

"If you want" She dismissed.

"Ok" He dragged out the word before taking a breath and spinning round with her still glued to his chest. "So, wifey, date night, what do you think? Should it be a regular thing?"

"Absolutely" She breathed the word.

She suddenly brought her head up from his chest, so she was looking at him and she wrapped her hands around the nape of his neck and pulled him to her for a slow moving kiss. His hands went to cup her cheeks almost immediately, occasionally straying to her magnificent hair.

And that one passionate, loving kiss was all it took to re-ignite their spark. They spent the rest of the evening in each other's arms, never apart for more than a few minutes. They made love in the lagoon, the shimmering turquoise liquid enveloping them as they did. The Doctor whispered his love to River, revelling in the feel of her smooth, bronzed skin under his fingers, hands on her body or tangled in her hair, lips on her mouth, neck, anywhere he could reach, as her arms tightened around his chest as she came with a cry. He kissed her temple as he followed the same path and sang out her name like a mantra.

They relaxed for a while afterwards, regaining their energy and just holding each other close, pressing chaste kisses on each other's skin, making the most of the time they had, the time to be intimate without worrying who was going to interrupt them. When they had recuperated, they waded out of the lagoon, hand in hand, and carefully gathered all the discarded clothing that lay on the grass and placed them in a pile. He squeezed her hand and smirked at her.

"Follow me; I have something to show you" He whispered gently to her and she smiled sweetly as he lead her through bushes and beyond trees until they reached an enclosed area of the garden where there was a blanket and pillows laid out on the luscious grass, surrounded by lit candles, fairy-lights and undergrowth, creating the perfect romantic atmosphere. She bit down on her bottom lip at the sight and nestled herself close to him as he wrapped his arms around her. "I thought we could sleep under the stars tonight"

She looked lovingly at him for a moment before wrapping her arms around his middle, hugging him tight and pecking his cheek tenderly. He suddenly grabbed her by the forearms and pulled her in for a passionate kiss, breaking for air when necessary and pressing his forehead against hers as a beautiful, intimate expression. And the rest of the evening went from there. They made love again, this time on the grass, as the TARDIS played the song _"Turning Page"_ in the background. Their arms around each other, their foreheads pressed against one another as they moved together intimately.

_Your love is my turning page, only the sweetest words remain. Every kiss is a cursive line; every touch is a redefining phrase. _

_I surrender who I've been, for who you are. Nothing makes me stronger than, your fragile heart. If I had only felt how it feels to be yours, I would have known, what I've been living for all along. What I've been living for. _

They cherished every moment of this night they had together, just to be alone and intimate for one night without anyone or anything to worry about. It was perfect. And when they had finished, the Doctor pulled the blanket around them and spooned up against her, pressing kisses to the nape of her neck and on her bare shoulders and wrapping his arms around her as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear and held her until she drifted into a peaceful sleep in his arms.

**A review would be really, really lovely :)**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** And I also hope you don't mind that this chapter sort of verged a little on M rated, but hopefully it's still just within the T rating! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and if you would like to leave a comment it would mean a lot! Thanks! :) x**


	33. Saturdays

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Hello sweeties! I'm deeply sorry for the long wait, real life has been hectic! But here is the next chapter for you all! Just a fluffy filler chapter this time, but I really hope you enjoy it! Please R&R :)**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes! **_

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: Saturdays**

_(30 Weeks [7 months] Pregnant) _

The Doctor and Lily sat curled up on a bean bag together, in an entanglement of limbs, amidst an array of books spread out on the carpeted floor of the TARDIS library. The Doctor had been teaching his daughter all about the universe, reading books and sharing stories of his adventures with her mother and her grandparents, with her, all afternoon. She had listened so intently to his every word, her face lighting up with excitement, or stunned with awe, at the exhilaration her father expressed in his stories. As he closed the story book, one of the many they had read that day, he unravelled himself from his daughter's arms and stood up slowly, straightening out his clothes, before bending down and scooping up a, now empty, plate, that had previously been full of jammy dodgers.

"I'm going to find mummy now, do you want to come, poppet?"

"No thanks. I'm gonna stay here and read more stories. But mummy's in the kitchen" She smiled warmly, reaching for another book.

"Ok. Well, that's where we'll be if you need us" He bent over and kissed the crown of her head, before he moved towards the door.

"Ok" She replied quietly, not looking up from the pages of the book.  
>"And don't tell mummy I let you eat jammy dodgers!" He smiled, pressing his index finger to his lips.<p>

"I won't" She grinned.

The Doctor strolled jauntily through the corridors, towards the kitchen, his mind buzzing with thoughts. Oh, how he loved Saturdays. Something good always happened on a Saturday. Whether it was a brand new, thrilling adventure or a lovely domestic day in the TARDIS with his family, it was always brilliant. As he approached the kitchen, he pondered whether he should give Jenny a call to see how she was getting on, or whether he should call the Ponds to enlighten them about River's check-up at Torchwood they had attended earlier that day. But he decided to check up on his wife before he did anything else, as he had scarcely seen her all afternoon. He was met with an unusual sight as he arrived at the kitchen and came to an abrupt halt in the doorway.

"You're baking?" The Doctor asked quizzically, as he stepped into the kitchen to find River standing by the oven, fiddling with the dials.

She was wearing a TARDIS blue pin-stripe apron over her black vest top and jodhpurs. She was padding around the room in bare feet, had flour dusted all over the front of the apron and a smear of her left cheek, and her golden curls were piled on top of her head in a messy bun, with strands escaping and falling onto her beautiful, exhausted face.

"Yep" She replied, once she was satisfied with the settings on the cooker, before spinning on her heels to face him and flinging her arms round his neck as he came to a halt in front of her.

"But you never bake things, River. You hate it!" He furrowed his brow.

"That's not true!" She protested.

"Yes it is!"

"No, it's not! I always cook stuff" She remarked stubbornly.

"Only when necessary! You try your best to avoid it the rest of the time" He responded, removing himself from her embrace to bend down and check the oven to see what she was making.

"Ok, I see your point. I don't do baking that often, no. It's not really my thing. But I don't hate cooking, and somebody in this family has to do it. We do have to eat sweetie! And plus, I've been craving the strangest foods lately, and I've had an overwhelming urge to bake recently, so I thought I'd give it a go. And Lily said she'd help me decorate the cakes once they were done" She shrugged, moving to the sink and turning on the tap so she could wet a cloth and wipe down the countertop to rid it of the flour she had spilt.

"Ooh, what are you going to put on the top!" He asked excitedly, suddenly interested.

River paused and looked over to him. He was bent down, staring intently at the cakes sitting under the heat of the oven, his light, fluffy, brown hair flopping over one eye and a childish grin suspended on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, her gaze fixed on him as he stood up straight. "Why do you care? ...Hang on... you just want to know if you can put custard on them don't you?"

"Maybe" He mumbled, looking at the ground and scuffing his feet guiltily like a small child.

"No. No, absolutely not. I don't want you _plaguing_ my cakes with that horrible sauce you like so much" She replied, turning her back to him and beginning to scrub at a dirty bowl.

"Right" He sulked. "Well, if they turn out like the cakes you made Lily months ago, _that were rock solid_, then I probably won't be having one anyway!" He said snidely.

"Fine" River snapped back. "You're clearly just jealous of my talents because you can't cook"

"I can!" He argued, stepping towards her.

"Yeah, fish fingers and custard, and beans on toast!" She mocked. "Don't really think that constitutes as cooking, my love"

"Lies!" He replied, putting his hands up. "I can cook more than that!"

"Yeah, like what?" She questioned smugly, folding her arms across her chest and moving from the sink to step closer to him, so they were standing eye to eye.

"Like... err, roast chicken, and... um... err, eggs, and, um... pasta... and err... I can cook a lot, ok?"

"Yeah, right" She said patronisingly, reaching out to pinch his cheek gently. "Look, these are nearly ready now, and you're invading my workspace, go and sit at the table!" She chuckled, beginning to waft him out of her way with a tea towel.

He pouted, and looked at her with big, pleading eyes as he made a kissy-face and pointed to his lips. River rolled her eyes, before advancing to him, and pressing her lips lightly to his in a chaste kiss, but he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. River let out a soft moan and flapped her arms a little before she smiled into his deeper, more passionate, kiss. As they broke apart, she pushed him gently away and he slumped into one of the chairs around the dining table whilst she took to washing up more bowls and other cooking utensils as she waited for the cakes to be cooked. The Doctor sat there in silence for five minutes, fidgeting in the chair, and unable to keep still for more than a minute as his gaze flickered between his twiddling thumbs and his gorgeous wife, with her back to him and wearing jodhpurs and a tight vest that hugged and displayed her curvy figure beautifully.

"You've been quiet today" River stated, breaking the silence as she looked over her shoulder at him and smiled compassionately.

"I've been with Lily in the library reading books most of the day" He shrugged.

"No, but you were pretty quiet this morning when we went to Torchwood for the check-up, and I've not seen you all afternoon, and you're awfully quiet right _now_, sweetie" She raised her eyebrows at him and put the bowl on a rack to dry and dried her hands on a tea towel before sitting down at the table opposite him. "Is something the matter?"

"I'm just thinking" He replied calmly.

"About what?" She inquired, reaching for his hand.

"You, the baby"

"What about us?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Just worrying about you both"

"You shouldn't, my love. We're both fine. Martha said so, remember?"

"I always worry about you, River" He said quietly, the corners of his mouth creasing into a faint smile.

"Why are you worried?" She questioned softly, slightly concerned herself.

"I... I'm just worried about _us_. Our marriage. What's going to happen when the baby's born? I mean... we barely get time to ourselves now, what with Lily to look after and Jenny to worry about and the Ponds to keep in the loop, and the Torchwood appointments and the pregnancy. I'm just worried about what will happen to our relationship after this baby's born"

"What on earth are you talking about?" She chuckled, squeezing his hand and subconsciously running her thumb over his silver wedding band. "Sweetie, nothing's going to happen to us, I promise. We may be parents now, and have a family to worry about, but the relationship between you and me is equally as important. We'll make time for each other"

"But what if we decide to have _another_ baby? There'll be even less time for us to be together, and... and... and what if our marriage just fizzles out?" He whined, looking so worried, so vulnerable and so childlike.

"Sweetie! I haven't even had this baby yet! Now's _not_ the time to be discussing whether we may or may not decide to have a fourth child in the future!" She laughed nervously. "And, if, hypothetically, we did decide to have another child in future, my point still stands. I'm not going to let our marriage fade into nothing. You're my husband, and I love you so much. I'm not going to let anything happen to our relationship, ok?" She stood up and leant over the table, pressing a kiss to his crown in reassurance.

"I love you River" He whispered, capturing her lips with his before she could sit back down.

"I know. I love you too. So, please don't worry"

"I know, I know, I shouldn't. I'm sorry, love. I just... don't want what we have to vanish" He muttered, still looking fairly disheartened.

"Neither do I. And it'll be hard, of course it will, and we'll have to work to make time for each other and have time alone. But we'll do it. And it'll get easier as time goes by" She grinned. "Really honey, there's nothing to worry about" She said comfortingly, winking at him and making him blush a little.

"I'm glad" He murmured.

"I mean, obviously you have to understand that for a while after the birth I'm not exactly going to feel up to being intimate" She said seriously, as she got up slowly from her chair to continue her washing up.

"Of course! River, it's not about the sex – as great as that is – it's about you and me maintaining our relationship and spending time together as husband and wife" He sighed.

River simply released a light chortle and shook her head before she spun on her heels so she could see his adorable, worried face.

"I promise you, darling, _nothing_ is going to happen to us!" She smiled warmly. "But we really ought to be more careful when Lily's around. The poor girl's already walked in on us far too many times, and I've even had to provide an explanation for the love bites you left on my neck"

"Sorry" He replied, stifling a giggle and clearly not sorry at all.

"Yeah, sure" She snorted.

Time soon ticked on as the couple continued with the playful banter over their sex life, and eventually, when River was satisfied she had made her point clear about the Doctor not leaving love bites in visible places where their seven year-old daughter would question them and the teasing of her husband had seized, she removed the cakes from the heat of the oven and left them on the countertop to cool. She reluctantly began to finish up the dish washing, mentally willing all the remaining dirty utensils to disappear before her eyes, but alas no such thing happened.

As River turned on the hot water tap and began to tackle one of the mixing bowls that had cake mixture stuck to the rim, the outside and all along the bottom, she felt a painful twinge in her abdomen. She paused and winced, and the twinge appeared to subside. But three minutes later she felt it again, and more painful this time. In a panic, the bowl slipped from her hands and smashed against the side of the sink, causing the Doctor to nearly jump out of his skin at the crash. He looked up quickly and alarmingly over at his wife, who was supporting herself with one hand gripping the edge of the counter so hard her knuckles had flushed white, and the other hand on her rounded belly.

"River? River, are you ok?" He asked frantically, pushing back his chair hurriedly and rushing to her side. "What's wrong? River...?"

"I'm fine... I... ow, ow" She gasped, clutching her stomach and wincing slightly.

"River, is it the baby?" She nodded. "Where does it hurt? River..."

"My stomach hurts. It's cramping, and it feels like contractions"

"But... but you can't have the baby now! It's too early!" He spoke hastily, flapping his arms about in a panic.

"No, I'm not having the baby..." She paused mid-sentence and drew breath sharply through gritted teeth. "...it's probably just Braxton Hicks contractions, sweetie"

"W... What's that?" He asked softly, letting her lean on him and grip his hand very tightly.

"Practice contractions, nothing to worry about, my love" She smiled weakly, caressing his cheek. "They just hurt a little, but I'll be fine"

"Are you sure?" He asked unsurely. "I don't want you to be in pain, I'll take you to back to Torchwood if you want"

"No, it's ok, I promise. It should stop soon. Braxton Hicks are infrequent and irregular and only involve mild cramping. Some people don't even feel them. Real contractions are a lot more painful, so you can usually tell when it's false labour. Don't worry about me, sweetie, I'm fine. It's not that bad. Just weird little twinges now and again" She said adamantly, gripping his hand tighter in reassurance as she endured another strong cramp.

"O...ok." He frowned, still looking extremely worried, but he put his arms around her and gently guided her towards a chair. "But will you please come and sit back down for a little while to take the edge off?"

She nodded weakly and let him lead her, before she took a seat and began to breathe rhythmically in and out in an attempt to make the pain seize. And all the while, the Doctor sat opposite her, holding her hand supportively, and staring anxiously at his wife as he watched her face crease up and her body tense each time she felt discomfort. He hated seeing his wife in pain, or seeing her upset, and although they were both fully aware that she was going to be uncomfortable at times during her pregnancy and in great pain during labour and birth, and they knew that it was just something they had to go through before they had their beautiful little baby at the end of it, he still detested seeing his wife in any kind of debilitating agony.

"A... are you sure you're going to be ok?" He mumbled after about five minutes of silence, and watching her breathe in and out calmly.

"Yeah, it's stopping. I'm fine, my love. Don't look so worried" She smiled weakly, reaching out and caressing his cheek gently.

"Good" He breathed, leaning into her touch before moving so he could place a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Ugh... great, now I'm craving something sweet" She sighed, her upper body collapsing on the kitchen table as she rested her head down on the table as she curled her arms around her head. "Why is nothing ever simple with pregnancy?" She mumbled.

"Hang on; I know just what you need, love" He smiled, jumping up from his seat.

He moved swiftly across the kitchen to the big silver fridge in the corner of the room, as River reluctantly lifted her head from the table and eyed him curiously. He opened the door and pulled out a tub of ice cream, and then moved to one of the drawers to produce a small silver spoon, before he took his seat opposite her again.

"It's vanilla, your favourite" He grinned, scooping a small amount onto the spoon and holding it in front of her so he could feed it to her, but she simply furrowed her brow. "You said you wanted something sweet, Mrs Song, so here you go"

"You're so perfect, do you know that?" She whispered softly.

"I try my best" He winked. "Now, open wide"

She chuckled lightly, but opened her mouth and allowed him to feed her the ice cream. He retracted the spoon from her mouth slowly, the ice cream sliding off in her mouth, and then he took a quick, cheeky mouthful of his own, before feeding her another. He grinned at the remains settled on her lips, and leaned in to her, tongue darting out to lick up the little drops of ice cream. He dropped the spoon onto the table, and then pressed a firm, but loving, kiss to her soft lips. Her hands came up to cradle his face and pull him closer as he rested his hands at the nape of her neck. The taste of vanilla that remained on their taste buds overwhelmed them, as their mouths moved together slowly in a deep, loving kiss.

Oh yes, he_ definitely _loved Saturdays.

**A review would be really, really lovely :)**

**[NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** I haven't had much time to focus fully on this chapter, but I hope it's ok and you enjoyed it. The next chapter will hopefully be up very soon, probably will be, but if not, it'll be up when I have time! Thank you for your patience! :) **


	34. Say the word and I'll come running

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Hello sweeties! Once again, apologies for the wait! But hopefully it's worth it, and I really hope you enjoy this chapter! :D (And Happy Valentines Day by the way!) xx**

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: Say the word and I'll come running**

_(39 Weeks [9 months] Pregnant) _

When the break noise of the TARDIS finally evaporated into the air, River stood alone on the deserted street, surrounded by the familiar serene atmosphere of Leadworth. Dead auburn leaves swirled around her feet in the light autumn breeze as she waddled along the quiet path and towards the deep blue front door of the Pond residence to pay a well over-due visit to her parents before the looming birth of her child. The Doctor hadn't deemed it safe for River to travel via vortex manipulator in her condition, so had insisted on dropping her off in the TARDIS and returning to pick her up later on. She couldn't understand why he and their daughters hadn't just come with her, Amy and Rory would have loved to see them just as much as they would her. Something about parent-daughter bonding time and having a chance to reconnect with their daughter before she was too busy with her new baby to go and see them, he'd said. She hadn't really been paying attention.

She swiftly approached the large front door and rang the bell, before stepping back and waiting for a response. The pale and dull blue sky was greying at the edges, and the clouds were getting heavier and darker. The weather was turning and River could sense that it was about to pour with rain. The light breeze had unexpectedly become chillier and she felt a shiver run down her spine, and she longed to be in the comfort and warmth of her childhood home. Suddenly, the door swung open.

"River! Oh my god. Hi!" Rory cried, upon seeing his heavily pregnant daughter standing in front of him in the cold.

"Hi dad"

"W... what are you doing here?"

"Here to see you and mother before the birth" She smiled.

"Right, right, of course" He replied, pulling her into an embrace.

"Oh, mind the baby, dad" She reminded him, as he squeezed her a little too tightly.

"Right, yes, sorry. Come inside" He released her from the hug and stood to the side so she could enter the house, before closing the door just as a light drizzle began. "Oh, wow, you're so big now! How many months are you?"  
>"Nine. My due date is in a week, so I could have the baby any time now"<p>

"Oh, wow. I don't think we've you since you told us you were pregnant, River. I mean, we've seen the Doctor a few times, when he came to drop off Lily, or that time when we went to the pub, which, quite honestly, I'd rather forget. But, how are you?" He asked as they walked through the hallway, towards the kitchen.

"I'm fine, baby's fine" She replied, as she took a seat on a stool around the kitchen counter.

"Everything healthy then? No complications?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, well, besides a few minor marital disputes and an encounter with an old nemesis, which I'd rather not go into. But everything to do with the baby is great"

"I'm glad" He grinned, taking a seat opposite her "What about my beautiful granddaughters?"

"They're fine. Jenny just got back from University last night, actually"

"Really? How's she getting on?" He questioned eagerly.

"Really well, she loves her course and she hasn't stopped talking about it, so I assume she's having a good time"

"And what about that husband of yours?" Rory said seriously.

"He's fine too, dad" River chuckled.

"Is he looking after you?"

"Of course!"

"Does he give you everything you need?"

"Everything and more. He's perfect, dad, stop trying to find fault" She laughed.

"Sorry, I'm sorry! You're my only child; I just want to know that you're being cared for. Father's prerogative" He grinned.

"I know, but the way you carry on sometimes, anybody would think you didn't approve of my marriage to the Doctor" She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Of course I bloody do, darling!" He protested "You and the Doctor were made for each other, anyone can see that"

River smiled faintly and stared at her lap for a while before asking, "Is mum about?"

"She just popped out to the shops, actually. She should be back though. Are the Doctor and the girls with you?"

"No, they're not, I'm afraid. The Doctor didn't want to intrude on family time or something ridiculous like that. He said I should call him if there was an emergency or I needed to be picked up. But he wanted to give me some time alone with you and mu..." She was interrupted by her mother's voice floating into the room.

"Rory! I'm back" Amy called out, her Scottish accent echoing through the house, and River and Rory could hear the rustle of plastic shopping bags as she made her way to the kitchen. "They didn't have any milk, so I... Oh my god. River!" She cried, as she dropped the shopping bags to the floor and moved towards her daughter.

Her coat was unzipped halfway and wet from the rain, and her beautiful ginger hair was dark and straggly and dripping water. River glanced to the window and saw the rain staining the glass and streaking the sky as it fell.

"Mum" River grinned, standing up slowly and moving to hug Amy.

"Oh, River, I'm so glad to see you! I was getting worried. You haven't been to visit in six months"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. We've just been busy the past few months, what with the baby and other things"

"It's alright, darling. We just missed you, that's all. Rory, why didn't you phone me and tell me she was here? I would have come straight back!" She fussed, picking up the bags from the floor and lifting them onto the counter, before removing her coat and beginning to unpack the shopping.

"Well, I..." Rory began.

"Did your father offer you some tea?" She cut in.

"No, not yet, Amy, I haven't had the chan..." Rory tried again to answer his wife, but was interrupted once again.

"Would you like some tea, River?"

"Yes, that'd be lovely, thanks"

Time soon flew by with all the tea-drinking, catching up and Amy repeatedly fussing over River, and before they knew it, two hours had passed. River was drawing weary at her mother's endless questioning, but was pleased to be in her company all the same. Amy was quizzing River on whether or not she and the Doctor had everything they needed ready for the baby, when it happened. When River went in labour. River had been telling her mother about her ridiculous cravings for pickles, olives and ice cream, and how she hadn't been getting much sleep because the baby had decide that the middle of the night was the best time to have a football match in her belly, and was right in the middle of describing to her parents how the Doctor had stayed up all through the night to paint and decorate the nursery, and how, when she woke in the morning, and went to find him, the nursery had been beautifully painted in a deep blue, and the ceiling was a mixture of a night sky and twinkling stars that was active and swirled around like the atmosphere and showed constellations, and it was wonderfully furnished with the cot the Doctor, she and Lily had all had as infants and everything else they had bought for the baby when they went baby shopping last month had been beautifully stored in the room, when she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and she suddenly realised her waters had broken. She stopped mid-sentence and gripped her belly as she stood up. Amy, concerned at the look of grimace on her daughter's face, also stood up and moved to stand by River, petting her arm as she attempted to uncover what was wrong.

"River? Are you alright? What is it?" Amy questioned softly.

"I... I think I'm in labour" River mumbled, the growing pain in her stomach quickly becoming unbearable.

"Oh my god, Rory, Rory, River's in labour!" Amy cried to her husband, just as Rory returned from the loo. He quickly sprung into action and rushed to River's side, seating her down on a nearby chair and telling her to relax.

"It's ok, River. It's ok. I'm a nurse, remember" He grinned sheepishly. "Just keep calm. You're gonna be fine, sweetheart, I promise. Amy, can you get some hot towels?"

"NO!" River yelled. "I'm not having this baby here. I need to get to Torchwood"

"River..." Amy began, watching her daughter flinch every few minutes at the mild contractions that were rapidly getting stronger. "Listen to your father. He knows what he's doing..."  
>"No, mum, I'm sorry. But I want to have this baby at Torchwood. I had a home birth before and I want to do it properly this time. Martha knows what she's doing, and it's all arranged. Please. Just help me get there" She begged, looking up at her parents pleadingly. They sighed and Amy rushed to the phone.<p>

"Ok. Ok" She breathed. "Who should I call?"

"The TARDIS" She huffed through another contraction, her voice slightly strangled in her throat "Just... get my bloody husband here _now_!"

Within seconds after Amy made the call, the TARDIS break noise could be heard all through the house as the TARDIS touched down with a thud on Amy and Rory's front lawn. The Doctor came speeding through the front door, nearly tripping over his feet in the process, as he called out desperately for River. He eventually heard her cries, and he charged into the kitchen and flew towards her. He gripped her hand tight and pressed kisses into her hair and on her temple out of reassurance. She was so relieved to see his ridiculous face there beside her that she nearly forgot about the agonising contraction she was enduring.

"I came, River, I came as soon as I got the call" He breathed, pressing more kisses to her crown. She gripped his hand tighter. "Are you ok?"

"Do I bloody look ok?"

"No, sorry, stupid question" He sighed. "Look, the TARDIS is out the front, and the girls are waiting. If we can just carefully get you into the TARDIS, we can get you to Torchwood in a matter of seconds. Ok? So, we're going to carefully move you, love. Is that alright?" She nodded weakly. "Good. Ok, on the count of three. One... two... three"

Rory and the Doctor slowly and carefully helped River to her feet once her contraction had subsided. And the three of them, with Amy following nervously behind, made their way to the front lawn where the familiar blue box was parked. They helped River safely into the TARDIS, where she was met by an anxious Jenny and Lily, who were fussing around her and checking she was alright. Meanwhile, the Doctor poked his head round the front doors of his ship, before asking the Ponds, "Are you coming?"

"I didn't think we were invited" Rory smiled.

"What? To the birth of your grandchild? Of course you are!" He chuckled. "Get in, quickly! River's going to need you both"

**...[LATER]...**

River, who was now dressed in a white hospital gown with her hair tied back in a loose ponytail and had been in labour for twenty-seven hours, was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open as she fidgeted on the bed, trying desperately to find a comfortable position. Martha, Gwen and the Doctor were at one side of the room, dressed in TARDIS blue scrubs, and Amy, Rory, Lily, Jenny and the rest Torchwood team were waiting patiently outside the examination room for the arrival of the newest addition to the Song family. River watched through heavy lidded eyes as the Doctor approached the bed, holding a white plastic cup of something. He leant over and kissed her forehead softly, before perching on the bed and beginning to stroke her hair affectionately.

"I brought you some ice chips" He smiled kindly, presenting the cup to her. "They had some in the kitchen and Martha said you should have some"

"I don't want any sodding ice chips" She groaned, pushing the cup away. "I just want this to be over"

"I know, I know, sweetheart" He replied sympathetically, letting her rest her head on his chest as he put the cup down and put his arms around her. "But you're doing so well, and you're so nearly there. It won't be long now. And then it'll all be over, and we'll have our baby"

"I can't" She whispered, a few tears spilling from her tired eyes.

"Yes, yes you can!" He tenderly brushed away her tears with his thumbs.

"I hate you" She mumbled against his chest.

"No you don't" He chuckled. "Come on, River, I _know_ you can do this"

"Oh shut up. You're not helping"

"I'm trying to be encouraging"

"Well don't. It's annoying" She snapped. "I'm too tired and in too much pain. 'Encouraging' is the last thing I need"

"Excuse me, Doctor, I just need to check on River" Martha interrupted.

The Doctor moved to the side of the room to stand by Gwen, who was on hand to help Martha with the delivery, as Martha carried out River's check-up.

"Congratulations River, you're ten centimetres dilated. You're about to have your baby" Martha smiled.

"Finally" River breathed.

"On the next contraction, I want you to start pushing, ok?"

River nodded weakly, and as the next wave of contractions flooded over her, she screamed with pain as she began to push. Martha began her work, and Gwen quickly moved by her side to help her. The Doctor, however, stood nervously in the corner of the room, watching his wife endure utter agony. He wanted to help. Really, he did. But he wasn't sure what he could do. If he went to stand by her side and attempt to encourage her again, she'd most likely push him away. She was stubborn as ever, his River. But he didn't want her to have to do it alone. He never wanted that.

"Aahh!" River shrieked as the contraction ended and she collapsed back onto the bed, panting heavily.

"Good, River, that's great. We'll go again in about a minute" Martha nodded.

Martha moved to the side to quickly ready some more equipment and Gwen, upon seeing River was in a great deal of distress, went over to her to see how she was.

"You don't have to do this, River" She muttered.

"Do what?" She panted, totally bemused.

"Go through this labour by yourself"

"I'm not"

"River, you might not think you need his support, but you do. Trust me. I've been there. When I gave birth to Anwen, I don't think I could have done it without Rhys by my side"

"Gwen, I'm not exactly doing this alone. The Doctor's only over there" River smiled faintly, tossing her head in the direction of her husband.

"I know. But, River he's your husband. He wants to help you, here's here to help you and care for you and you've _got_ to start trusting him to support you"

"I do trust him. With my life. With everything" River whispered.

"Then why are you pushing him away?" Gwen asked, raising her eyebrows. River opened her mouth to argue, but closed it again, not knowing what to say. "He'd do anything for you. You say the word and he'll come running"

"...I need him" River managed to say before she began to weep.

Gwen turned sharply to the Doctor. "Doctor! Get over here _now_. Your wife needs you"

He ran over towards where she lay in a heartbeat, rushing to her side and taking her hand in his and squeezing it tightly. "I'm here. River, love, I'm here"

"I don't want to do this" She wept, shaking her head in defeat.

"I know, I know. But it's going to be alright, I swear" He pressed a kiss to her temple and then kissed her hand as she began to feel the next contraction brewing. It was much stronger this time.

"I can't. I'm so tired. I can't, Doctor, I can't" She whined, leaning forward and beginning to push again at Martha's command.

"You you can, I know you can. You're so close. We'll do the last bit together, and then we'll have our beautiful little baby. Just think how great it'll be when you get to hold our baby in your arms and get to give them a big cuddle"

"I don't think I can" She mumbled, tears streaking her crimson, sweaty face.

"Of course you can! And I'm right here, River, I'm not going anywhere, I won't even let go of your hand until this baby is born" He spoke softly, but determinedly as he gripped her hand even tighter to emphasise his point.

"Promise?" She asked in between cries.

"Promise" He nodded.

"Ok, River, you need to push again" Martha interrupted.

River let out a reluctant whine and with a few more powerful words of encouragement from the Doctor, pushed and pushed with all her strength. River's face was a definitive shade of red now, and her face was sweaty and exhausted. She was so shattered that she didn't think she was going to make it through the next contraction.

"I AM NEVER HAVING SEX WITH YOU AGAIN!" River screamed, as a stronger, more painful, contraction hit her at full force. "AND IF YOU DARE TRY TO COME NEAR ME, I WILL CHOP OF BITS!" Her face scrunched up as she breathed heavily and pushed again, harder this time. The Doctor laughed; even when she was in excruciating agony she still made jokes. At least, he hoped it was a joke. He quickly brushed it off, and returned his attention to River, who was pushing hard. Suddenly Martha cried out.

"WAIT!" She shouted. "I can see something"

"What? What is it?" River asked, concerned.

"It's the baby's buttocks. Your baby's breach. I'm sorry River, the baby's in a more difficult position, so you're going to have to push even harder now" Martha sighed.

"I'm sorry, I can't" She cried, collapsing on the bed and beginning to cry.

"River, come on, just keep on pushing. It'll be over before you know it!" The Doctor interjected. "I know it hurts, I know you're exhausted, and I wish I could take the pain away, my love. And I know there's nothing I can say to help you, but you're so close now. Just a few more big pushes and it'll be over. You can do this. Come on, I believe in you. One more big push and it'll be over. I love you. And I know you can do this" He pressed a firm kiss into her hair and she looked deep into his eyes, full of hope and belief in her, and just one look from her beautiful husband was enough to spur her on.

With a burst of new found energy, River made one final big, long push, as she screamed out with pain and exhaustion, using up every last drop of energy she had.

"Aaaahh!" River shrieked.

"Good girl, River" The Doctor cried.

"Arrgh!" She gasped. "Oh God"

"Here comes our baby, River" The Doctor grinned, as Martha held their baby up and handed the wailing child, covered in blood, but beautiful all the same, to Gwen, who took their baby to the other side of the room to be cleaned and wrapped up.

"Well done, River, just one last little push to deliver the placenta" Martha spoke softly.

River pushed again, pressing on through the pain, but it was not nearly as bad as before, as although her eyes were scarcely open at this point, her eyes were on the wriggling little baby being cleaned up in Gwen's arms. The Doctor leant over and kissed his wife softly and lovingly on her lips, and brushed hair sweaty hair back as he placed another quick kiss to her forehead, whispering "Well done" before moving over to where Gwen and their baby were. River sunk into the pillow, spent, as her eyelids fluttered closed.

"Oh my god, River, it's a little boy! River, we've got a _son_!" She heard him announce excitedly.

"Is he ok?" River whispered feebly, her eyes still tightly closed.

"He's perfect" The Doctor replied, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks, grinning from ear to ear as he held out his hand and his son clasped it with his tiny fingers. "Oh, River, he's so perfect... River?"

The Doctor turned to face his wife, who lay with her eyes closed on the bed. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, sensing something wasn't right. And as he advanced to her side and whispered her name over and over, poking and prodding her, but she was unresponsive. He began to panic.

"River? RIVER?" He spoke hastily, checking her pulse and breathing desperately and continuing to nudge her gently. "River, sweetheart, open your eyes for me. River? River, please? Come on, come on, come on. River wake up! Please my love, please"

Martha watched on unsurely, but quickly rushed over when she realised River wasn't just sleeping. She'd collapsed. And she could see how distressed the Doctor was.

"What's going on, Doctor?" Martha asked, pulling out her stethoscope.

"Sh... she won't answer me. She won't wake up. And, I... I don't think she's breathing. What's happening to her? Martha, please..." He begged, roughly brushing away his tears as Martha began to check her over.

He sat by her side, holding her hand tight, crying desperately as he stroked her hair and pressed kisses into her skin, whispering to her, "River, wake up. You can't leave me now. I need you. The girls need you. Our son needs you. Wake up, come on River, please, just... open your eyes"

**A review would be really, really lovely, especially on Valentines Day *Bats eyelashes sweetly* lol :)**

**[NEXT, AND FINAL, CHAPTER UP SOON]**

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Yes, I'm afraid to tell you that you read that correctly. The next chapter, will, I'm afraid, be the final chapter of Meet Me Halfway :'( It should be up fairly soon, as it's the holidays and I've got a bit more time. I'll do a proper round of thing at the end of the next chapter, but I just wanted to give you some warning that this story is drawing to a close xoxo**


	35. Everything and more

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Hello! So, here we are at last (to quote the Doctor in TWORS :D). The final chapter of Meet Me Halfway! There is a final extra author's note at the bottom to read after, by the way. So yeah, I'd appreciate it so much if you R&R'd and **I really, really hope you enjoy this!****

**DISCLAIMER: **_**Unfortunately I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic and I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who belongs to the BBC and this is purely for fun and non-profitable purposes!**_

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: Everything and more**

The Doctor sat beside his lifeless wife, his head in his hands, tears clouding his vision and staining his pale cheeks as he tried to stifle sobs. The dreadful, eerie silence that filled the room was just adding to the terrible situation, and the worry pooling in the pit of his stomach was unbearable as he watched Martha listen intently to the rhythms of River's hearts with her stethoscope, whilst Gwen observed in silence from the other side of the room. Even his son was still as he lay wrapped up in a blanket in a plastic cot next to Gwen. The Doctor thought that it was almost as if he could sense something was wrong. Of course he could. The depressing and solemn atmosphere of the room was just screaming that something wasn't right.

"Is she...?" The words strangled in his throat and he nearly choked on them, but he spat them out reluctantly. "Is she dead?"

There was silence.

Martha finished checking River over, and stood up straight, removing the stethoscope from around her neck and placing it carefully on the table beside the bed. She moved slowly, taking one last look at River before her eyes moved to the frantic man sitting in front of her. She looked solemnly at the Doctor, who was staring at her with wide eyes, his hazel orbs desperately seeking solace and any kind of consolation as even more small teardrops spilled down his cheeks. He didn't seem to care. He just wanted a verdict, and to know if River was alright. Martha said nothing for a few moments, just acknowledging the amount of love this great man had for his wife with a few mere looks, before the Doctor grew impatient and when he could no longer stand the agonising silence and sombre glances, he snapped.

"Martha!" He growled, but Martha wasn't convinced. She could hear the emotion caught in his throat and could tell by the way his voice wavered that he was close to having a break-down. "Please. Just tell me. Is she alright?"

"No" She sighed, and when the Doctor just stared at her in disbelief, looking as if he was on the verge of a breakdown, she hastily added, "She's not alright, Doctor. She's extremely drained and she pushed herself to her limits during the delivery. She's used up every last drop of energy she had, and her body has shut down to prevent any further damage. She's unconscious, but she _is_ healing"

The Doctor felt a weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders, and he was suddenly glad that he was sitting down, or his legs may have buckled beneath him and he'd have collapsed with the relief.

"So... she's not dead?" He spoke nervously. "Sh... she didn't die in... in childbirth or anything? 'Cause that can happen, can't it?"

"Yes. It can. But it didn't happen to her" Martha spoke softly. "Don't worry; she'll be up and about again as soon as her body has built up its strength"

"Why did this happen?" He muttered, stroking back River's hair and placing a gently kiss to her forehead.

"Well, Doctor, she just went through a difficult birth with a breach baby, after twenty-seven hours in labour. And, although she's part timelady, she's still a woman, and childbirth, especially after a lengthily labour, is very emotionally and physically draining. She's just resting now. She'll be fine very soon, I assure you"

The Doctor smiled feebly, and continued to caress his sleeping wife's cheek and hair, his eyes never leaving her. Martha moved to check over the unnamed little boy whining in the corner, checking his weight and other things carefully before placing him back into the cot. She turned on her heels, now facing the Doctor, who, in the five minutes she had spent tending to the small infant, had not moved from his position next to his wife. He was whispering to her, "River, there's a little baby boy out here who's waiting to see his mummy, there's two beautiful young girls who need their mother, and a very desperate man who needs his wife. Please. Please, wake up. For us" She watched and sighed, before strolling over to him and placing her hand gently on his shoulder.

"Doctor, she's going to be alright, I promise you. But it's no good sitting there and mulling it over. She'll wake up in her own time" Martha sighed "Look, I think you should go and tell everyone waiting outside that River has given birth to a beautiful, healthy little boy and that when she wakes up, they can see her. Yeah?" He nodded weakly. "Go on. I know you don't want to leave her, but I'll keep an eye on River, and Gwen's watching your son, go and see them, and give them the good news"

He stood up slowly, pressing a soft kiss to River's crown before finally wrenching himself away from where she lay. He moved over to his son over the cot where he kissed the tips of his index finger and middle finger and then pressed then to his son's forehead, whispering, "Daddy will be right back" And with that, he padded slowly to the door and through the empty corridor to the centre of the Torchwood hub where his friends and family were waiting anxiously for any news.

As soon as he pushed open the glass double doors, Amy immediately sprung to her feet, gazing at him, her eyes full of hope and anticipation. Rory, Jack and Jenny stood up too, all of them just staring at him in anticipation, looks of complete wonder about their faces, as if they were about to hang off his every word. Rex and Lily, however, were fast asleep on the couch with a woollen blanket pulled over them.

"Doc!" Jack smiled, moving over to him and looking him up and down. "Well, don't you look a sight"

The Doctor smiled weakly. Yes, he supposed he did, in his disposable blue surgical gown with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his face red and sweaty from helping River through the birth in the heated room, and his puffy, sore eyes and tears stained cheeks from when he had been crying.

"Well, I did just help my wife give birth, give me a break" He chuckled, patting Jack on the back.

"She's had the baby!" Amy squealed, taking an eager step forward.

"Yes, she has. River has given birth to a beautiful, healthy little baby _boy_" He grinned.

"Oh my god! We've got a grandson?" Amy breathed, taking it all in and taking a seat on one of the sofas to stop herself from collapsing. Rory quickly advanced to her side to calm her, but he was just about managing to absorb the information himself.

"Yeah"

"When can we see her and baby?" She asked.

"Not just yet. River's completely exhausted and is sleeping right now. She's not up for visitors just yet, but I'll let you know when she's awake"

"Is mum ok?" Jenny piped up, moving towards her father.

"She's fine, darling" He smiled, pressing a kiss to her hair as she wrapped her slender arms tightly around his middle, before releasing her from the embrace. "We had a momentary scare, because she collapsed after the birth. But Martha says she's absolutely fine and is just resting and getting her energy back now"

"Oh my god..."

"It's alright, Jenny. She's fine, really. She's gonna be ok. She just needs to get her strength back" He smiled reassuringly. "Then you can see her"

"Of course, we understand. She needs to rest"

"I should probably get back to her, but I just wanted to tell you that she's had the baby" He grinned ecstatically and pivoted on his heels and paced his way back to the delivery room. "Tell Lily and Rex the good news when they wake up!" He shouted over his shoulder.

He returned shortly to the delivery room and, after saying a quick hello to his son, resumed his position beside River, planting a kiss to her cheek to let her know he was still there. He knew that she was going to be ok. But he couldn't help but worry about her. This wasn't at all how he'd pictured this moment throughout the nine months River was pregnant. He never envisaged that when the day finally arrived where River would give birth to their child, he would end up nursing his unconscious wife whilst his baby son lay neglected in the corner of the dark room. He rubbed his eyes and his temples before dropping his head into his hands. If anything, he was tired. Although he didn't need as much sleep as ordinary humans, he still needed rest, and he hadn't slept in over twenty-seven hours and it was finally beginning to take its toll on the timelord.

"Doctor" Martha whispered, approaching him cautiously. "Gwen and I are going to step outside and give you some time alone with your son"

"Ok, thanks" He said distractedly.

"Doctor, your son wants attention. And as his mummy can't give him that right now, I think his daddy should go and give him a big cuddle, don't you?" She raised her eyebrows at him as the corners of his mouth creased upwards into a smile. "Besides, it might take your mind of River for a little while. She's going to be fine, I promise you, Doctor"

"If you're sure"

"One hundred percent"

"Ok" She turned to leave. "Oh, and Martha..."

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I really appreciate everything you've done for us. I know River does too"

"Don't mention it" She smiled. "It's a pleasure" And with that, she left the Doctor alone with his infant son and wife.

The Doctor moved silently over to where his little boy was mewling and wafting his arms around in the air, his tiny little hands clenched into fists. He had the smallest tuft of curly brown hair, and the Doctor could tell that he was going to have fabulous curly brown locks when he grew up, and he had definitely inherited River's captivating eyes. He extended his index finger and stroked his cheek, and then felt his two tiny hearts beating together tranquilly. Suddenly the child reached out his fisted hand towards his father and uncurled his hand to grab the Doctor's finger. He felt his hearts warming and did his best to fight back the tears that threatened him, so he quickly leant down to scoop the newborn into his arms to give him the cuddle he deserved. He tapped his nose softly and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, standing in the room and rocking his son gently.

"Hello handsome" He whispered, unable to wipe the grin off his face. "Oh, aren't you just beautiful. My son. Hello! I'm the Doctor, but you can call me daddy, until you grow up, and then you might just want to call me dad. You are going to be so great, I can tell. You and me, we'll gang up against the girls and back each other up! And grandpa Rory can join in too! Oh, and I'm going to teach you so many things, and let you wear cool fezzes and bowties, no matter what mummy says, and we can play with your sisters in the garden on the TARDIS. And we can play football!" The baby whimpered a little. "Oh, oh, yes, I know baby, I know you don't know what it is or how to play it. But daddy will teach you. It's an Earth game by the way. I'm quite good at it actually. I played it when I stayed with my mate Craig once. You'll love Craig, and his son Alfie. Oh yes, you're gonna meet so many amazing people, and do so many great things. And I'm gonna love you so much. And, don't tell mummy..." He began, as he pulled up a chair to sit beside where River lay, his son still safe in his arms. "...but I secretly wanted you to be a boy. I didn't want to be outnumbered by the girls now, did I? Don't get me wrong, if you'd have been a girl I would have loved just the same, but I really wanted a son. Oh, but everyone is going to love you! Especially Lily and Jenny, they wanted a little brother so much. And River is going to love you too. She's your mummy, and she'd do anything to protect you" Cries filled the air as the young boy began to wail. "Oh, oh, what's that little one? Aw, you want your mummy now do you? I'm sorry, baby, mummy's sleeping just now, but you can see her soon, I promise. And daddy's here don't worry. I'm not going anywhere, you're perfectly safe" This seemed to settle the child, and he relaxed in his father's arms, blinking up at him with wide eyes. "You don't have a name, do you little one? Oh dear, we can't have that, can we? But I do think mummy would be very cross if she woke up and found out that I'd given you a name all by myself. She doesn't seem to approve of my naming abilities. So we're just going to have to wait it out, I'm afraid"

And wait, they did. The Doctor got up and paced around the room, bouncing his baby boy in his arms if he started to cry, or singing and talking to him to pass the time and soothe him as they waited for River to wake up. And in the forty minutes that they waited, not for one second did he put that little child back in his cot and abandon him, and he was so sorry that that was what he had done immediately after the birth. The Doctor was sat by River's bedside when her eyes finally fluttered open. She looked up at the ceiling in a dazed state, her head lolling to the side to face the Doctor. Her vision was impaired, but she could just make out the blur of her husband sat by her side, cradling their newborn in his arms. As her sight returned to normal, the corners of her mouth creeped into a weak smile at the view of them there, and she reached out her arm to stroke a hand through the Doctor's mop of brunette hair. He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as the relief flooded over him.

"Hello sweetie" She whispered, her voice scarcely audible, as she was still weak from her laborious ordeal.

"Oh, god, River" He mumbled, tears beginning to roll down his face. "I thought... I really thought... I thought I'd lost you. I couldn't bare it. Oh, River, I was so worried... I thought you'd... I... I don't want you to know what I thought. I'm just so, so glad you're alright"

"Oh Doctor, sweetie, I'm so sorry I scared you" She whispered, caressing his cheek softly. "But I'm fine, I promise you. I'm not going anywhere. You couldn't lose me that easily, even if you tried" He chuckled and leant over carefully to kiss her forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore, weak, tired, but all the better for seeing your handsome face" She spoke softly, relaxing into the pillow for a few moments before trying to sit up, wincing a little, before moving into a more comfortable position.

She finally laid eyes on the little bundle wrapped up safely in her husband's arms, taking in the sight of her little boy properly before her breath hitched and she began to weep a little.

"Oh god, oh sweetie, is this our son?"

"It certainly is" He grinned, reaching out his hand to stroke her tears away.

"Is he alright?"  
>"He's... oh, River, he's wonderful. A healthy and happy little bundle of joy" He responded, smiling ecstatically.<p>

"Can, can I hold him?" She whispered.

"Of course you can! He's your son, River; do you really think you need to ask?" He grinned, standing up and carefully placing the baby into her open arms. "He's been pining for a cuddle from his mummy, haven't you little man?"

"Hello, baby" She whispered to the tiny child in her arms. "Oh, I've been waiting so long to see you. You're perfect. Oh, sweetie, he's just perfect, isn't he? Oh, Doctor, we did it"

"No, River. _You_ did it. It was all you" He murmured into her hair after scrambling onto the bed to sit beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her gently into his side and pressing a kiss to her temple. She moved her head and he kissed her tenderly on her soft lips, pouring all his love, relief, happiness and everything else into that one kiss. "I am _so_ proud of you"

"Does he have a name yet?"

"Not yet, no" He sighed, looking down at his gurgling, mewling son, content in his mother's arms. "I didn't want to name him without your consent. I figured you probably wouldn't appreciate it if you woke up to find that I'd named our baby Alonso or Stormageddon or Badger or something equally as awesome, but something you would disapprove of. So, I didn't. Probably for the best too, or you might just have conjured up the strength to hit me" He smiled idiotically at her and she narrowed her eyes.

"Good decision"

"Yes, I thought you'd be pleased" He chuckled. "However, this little man _does_ need a name, River"

"Of course" She mumbled, glancing down at their baby. "Any, _sensible_, ideas?"

"Um..." He paused to think. "None that you would regard as _sensible_, dear" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Look, River, you just name him. You did all the hard work, and you should get to name him"

"Are you sure, my love? I got to name Lily when she was born, you should get to name at least one of our children!"

"No, River, honestly, it's fine. I will be happy with whatever you choose, love" He smiled kindly, kissing her cheek. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well" She begins, taking a deep break. "I have a few ideas, Alex, like I suggested before, James or Matthew". But looking at him now, he definitely isn't an Alex"

"Ok..." He smiled. "Well, I love Matthew and James, so you just choose which ever one you prefer, and that'll be that"

"Ok" She pauses for a moment, thinking carefully before saying quietly, "Doctor, this is Matthew"

"Beautiful, it suits him" He replied, pressing a kiss to Matthew's head.  
>"Doctor, sweetie, what about if his middle name was James?" She asked timidly. "It's just, I love both names, and I can't really choose"<p>

"Of course. That's a lovely idea, River" He grinned kissing her softly before turning his attention back to his son, whispering to him, "Hello Matthew James"

"Oh, River, you're awake!" Martha grinned, as she slipped into the room, interrupting them. "How're you doing?"

"Much better thanks, a little sore in places and still feeling very drained, but I'm ok" She smiled, looking up from the tiny, perfect little face of her child.  
>"Good, I'm glad. Now, River, there are some very anxious people waiting to see you and the little one, should I let them in?" She raised her eyebrows inquisitively.<p>

"Sure" She replied, handing the small boy to her husband, before shifting on the bed a little to try and get a more comfortable position. But when Matthew suddenly began to howl and cry, she paused immediately and took him back into her arms, rocking him gently, trying desperately to calm him. "Shh, shh, it's ok Matthew, mummy's here. What is it, sweetie? What do you need?" She spoke softly over the wailing, still bouncing him and rocking him as she turned to the Doctor and shot him a look of confusion. "Sweetie, what does he want?"

"Ooh, I think he's hungry" He smiled, kissing his son's forehead.

"Are you hungry, my love?" She asked, looking down at her baby who was now a little calmer and seemed to smile at his mother's words. "I think that's a yes"

"No wonder" Martha smiled, craning her neck to take a good look at him. "River, would you like to try breastfeeding before the others come in?"

"Yes, I think that would probably be wise. I don't think I'd be that comfortable with Jack and Rex lurking and... looking at your... um... chest area" The Doctor quickly interjected.

"Sweetie, I don't mind. It's just breastfeeding, its food and its natural" She replied.

"Yeah, I know, and I don't have a problem with that. It's just..."

"Sweetheart, you don't need to explain. Its ok, I understand. And if it makes you happy, then I'll just do it now before anyone else comes in"

"Thank you" He mumbled, lips brushing against her hair before placing a tender kiss to her curls.

"Now, you know how this works, River? You breastfed Lily when she was a baby, didn't you?" Martha asked.

"Yes"

"Ok, so you know what to do, great. If you need any help just ask" She smiled kindly.

"Thank you" She replied, before turning her attention to the whining child in her arms. "Are you hungry, sweetie? Yeah? Oh, it's coming, it's coming baby"

Matthew mewled and moaned, and after several failed attempts, he latched on and began to suckle contently. River held him close as he fed, smiling happily down at him, as the Doctor watched in silence. He knew how breastfeeding worked, and he'd seen her feed Lily as a baby plenty of times, yet he still found it remarkable how it all worked.

"Oh, he's really hungry" She smiled to her husband, before looking back down at Matthew and saying, "Good boy, all better now darling?" He gurgled happily and she chuckled lightly.

"All done? Shall I let the cavalry in now?" Martha laughed.

"Sure"

Martha disappeared for a few minutes, but when she returned, she was followed by the rest of the Torchwood team, the Ponds and Lily and Jenny. They all had huge grins plastered across their faces, and they shuffled into the room quietly, gathering around the bed where River lay with the Doctor beside her, with his arms still around her shoulders, and Matthew nestled on her chest, her hands on his tiny little body as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, snuggling close to her. There was gasping, weeping, mainly from Amy, but the Doctor thought he could see tears glistening in Rory's eyes, and aw-ing from their audience as they laid eyes on the tiny child for the first time. Lily scrambled carefully onto the other side of the bed next to her parents, and looked happily down into the face of her little brother.

"Everyone, this is Matthew James Song" The Doctor announced proudly. "Jenny, Lily, this is your little brother"

"Matthew, say hi to everybody" River spoke softly to him. "That's your grandma and grandpa, and these are your big sisters, and that's Uncle Jack, Uncle Rex, Aunt Martha and Aunt Gwen" She smiled, tilting the baby in her arms so they could all get a better look at him.

"Oh, River, he's beautiful" Amy gasped.

"Well done, darling" Rory grinned, peering at his grandson before smiling to his daughter.

"Mummy..." Lily muttered from beside her. River turned her attention to her immediately.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Can I hold him?" She whispered timidly.

"Of course you can!" She grinned widely, moving so Matthew lay half in Lily's arms and half in her own as she helped her daughter support his weight. "Be careful though, he's only little"

Lily looked down at her little brother, smiling to him and leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead. River felt like her hearts were going to melt at the adorable sight of these siblings bonding already. She stroked her daughter's hair and pressed a kiss to her crown, admiring the look of admiration and wonder on her face.

"Can I hold him too?" Amy asked gently, sniffing a little as she rubbed her eyes.

"Of course" River handed Matthew to her husband, who proceeded to hand him diligently over to Amy.

Amy rocked him gently in her arms, bouncing, kissing, cooing over, and talking to him, as Rory and Jenny crowded around her to look at the sweet little bundle. River smiled weakly and relaxed back into the pillows, her eyes drifting closed for a few seconds before they fluttered open again.

"Are you alright mum?" Jenny asked affectionately.

"I'm fine, love. Just tired"

"River, you know your father and I will be on hand to help you whenever, don't you?" Amy said, looking up from the baby in her arms. "Whenever you're too tired to look after everyone and everything on the TARDIS, you can always come and drop the baby off at ours for a little while, or you can all come and stay and have a break. We're here for you, for both of you. You know that, don't you?"

"Thank you mum" She whispered feebly.

"He's adorable, River, Doctor" Jack grinned, tapping Matthew's nose lightly. "Congratulations"

"Thanks, Jack" The Doctor replied, winking fondly at him.

They all quickly began to disperse into different conversations, discussing childcare, who Matthew looked most like, and making jokes. Laughter filled the room seconds after Jack made a joke, although the Doctor and River weren't sure what it was he'd said as they had been distracted. River had finally wrenched her eyes from her son after acknowledging that he was safe in Amy's arms, and she had snuggled into the Doctor's side, despite not really wanting to be touched, as she was still very sore. But she laced her fingers through his and kissed him softly, before relaxing into his body and closing her eyes. She felt Lily shift off the bed as she went to follow Amy and Jenny across the room to place Matthew back in the plastic cot because he had drifted off to sleep, but she didn't open her eyes to watch as her mother put him down, she didn't need to, as she knew he was safe with her family.

"Are you sure you're alright?" The Doctor whispered to her, as their friends and family squabbled and laughed softly amongst themselves, their tones of voice now hushed slightly due to the sleeping baby.

"Yeah, I have a beautiful, caring husband, a perfect baby son, two beautiful daughters, loving parents and the most wonderful friends, all around me. Why wouldn't I be alright?" She grinned, whispering back to him, before snapping her eyes open and pulling him into another deep, loving kiss. "I have everything I could ever want and more"

**The End. **

**A final review would mean so much to me if you have the time. I'd love it if you gave me an overview/opinion of what you thought of this chapter and the fic as a whole, but it's up to you :) **

**EXTRA AUTHOR'S NOTE:**** Ok. So that's it for Meet Me Halfway. Is it weird that I'm feeling really emotional after finishing this? I've become quite attached to this story actually, as it was the first ever fic I wrote. But I just want to say that I really, really, hoped you enjoyed reading this fic, and I hope it's one that you'll come back to read later on, I know I definitely enjoyed writing it! And you really have no idea how grateful I am for every single one of you who read this, reviewed it, added it to favourites, or put it on alert, it really does mean a lot to me, as I've said many times in the past! Haha :) ****I can also tell you that I will probably be writing a few one-shots here and there for these characters again, in future, but probably not all that soon as I have three other things I'm planning to write first! But yes, it is something I'm most likely going to do in future! **:D ******I hope you will stick with me and read more of my fics in future, and once again, thank you all so much! xx**


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